Oneshots
by Magnum2019
Summary: Just a bunch of random oneshots I come up with. Rates T to be safe. Some pairings are Finn/Holley, Jackson/Cruz and Lightning/Sally, if you don’t like them then don’t read. Newest: A story idea
1. Forth of July Fright

**A/N: So I wanted to write something cute for the Fourth of July. But then I figured why not make an entire story just for my oneshots that I randomly think of? So now you get this.**

**In this first one shot it's Fourth of July centered, so it's going to be Holley's first time ever hearing fireworks. She gets _freaked _out from the loud noise. Thankfully, Finn is with her. **

_**Finn/Holley pairing, if you don't like it then don't read. **_

**Disclaimer: Disney/Pixar owns all characters in this chapter. **

Holley was contently laying by Finn, the sky slowly beginning to fade from light blue to a navy blue, then black. She was nearly asleep, Finn grazing a few yards next to her, when she jerked awake by one of her most feared sounds.

Finn slowly lifted his head when he heard the fireworks begin to go off. The loud noise didn't scare him, hardly piqued his interest, but what did was the sudden flurry of movement on his left.

He slowly turned his head behind him, lifting his hind leg. Even at a year old, she still managed to hide underneath him if she was laying down.

At first, Finn didn't know what she was scared of. But when another firework went off and she flinched, he knew.

Putting his leg down he looked at another firework as it went off, lighting up the sky with red and gold. He felt Holley brush his hind leg, and he softly said, "They're fireworks."

He dropped his head down to graze again, not paying attention to the fireworks and staying calm in hopes that his attitude towards them would calm Holley down.

The fireworks kept going off every thirty seconds, and each time he felt Holley flinch from underneath him. He continued to not pay attention to them. Slowly, Holley began to stop flinching.

He lifted his head enough to look at her, offering her a soft smile. She looked at him, and he slowly, carefully, stepped over her. Holley made no move to follow or hide underneath him, but she watched him for a few moments until another firework went off. She didn't flinch, but watched for more.

Finn kept an eye on her as he continued grazing. She kept watching them, and every once in a while Finn caught her glancing at him, as if making sure he was still there.

Finn lifted his head and stared at her. She kept her focus on the starry night sky, watching the fireworks briefly light it up.

_She's come a long ways in the past few months. _

He remembered when Nathan, the head of CHROME, had assigned her as his new partner. She was skittish, afraid of anything and everything. At first, he hadn't been pleased with his new 'assignment'. But he soon warmed up to her, and her to him. And pretty soon, they had an unbreakable bond. Holley would hardly go anywhere without him.

Over there time together, Finn had grown an endless amount of patience for the young filly. He had figured out that she was young, but eager and willing to please. She tried her best to learn things, and worked hard to understand what she didn't understand. And for that, Finn never got mad at her.

As it should be, she had an infinite amount of energy during the day. Quite often, she'd pester him until he chased her around or went outside with her. And he didn't get mad at her for it - because she was just young.

Finn softly chuckled, and lowered his head back down to graze, watching her again. She kept watching the fireworks, but seemed to be more curious than afraid at this point.

"Beautiful, aren't they?"

Holley flicked an ear towards him, and nodded once. Keeping her eyes on the fireworks, she said, "They sounded like gunshots at first... my step dad used to fire at others all the time."

Finn sighed, frowning. He'd known about her horrid past and her abusive step father since the day he'd met her. He walked over to her and laid down next to her, putting his head over her back.

The finale started, letting off a series of loud, repeating bangs. Holley was unprepared for the loud noise, and it startled her again. She flinched back and buried her face into Finn's chest. He gently rubbed her neck with his muzzle in a soothing motion, nickering to her.

It lasted for a few moments, and then it was over. Everything was silent. Finn made no move to get up, and neither did Holley. He waited until her breathing steadied and he felt more weight on him before laying his head on her side, letting him know she'd fallen asleep. He scented the wind, looking around and flicking his ears in every direction, trying to pick up on any signs of predators. When he found none, he laid his head on her back again.

He closed his eyes, remembering the first time he'd let her sleep on him. The storm wasn't the worst Finn had seen in his three years of life, but to Holley it was quite scary. She'd been terrified, and the only way that Finn knew to calm her down was to cuddle up next to her. Shortly after, she'd fallen asleep pressed into his side. After that, it'd become a regular occurance.

She trusted him enough to where she came to him when she was afraid. And Finn wouldn't have it any other way.

**A/N: Didn't really know how to end this, as you could probably tell. And this was only two hours before the end of Fourth of July, but I still made it in time :P And again to meet the deadline and let me sleep, I didn't proof read. So please forgive any spelling or grammar errors. Hope ya'll had a nice July Forth!**

**And I don't know how often I'll be updating this. Whenever anything comes to mind or someone gives me an idea I guess. **


	2. Heat

**A/N: So its kinda hot here (87F) and I'm kind of dying because I'm in jeans but there's a fan and I have water so I'm good (I'm outside at a cow show). So yeah thats how this one kind of came about. **

**_It's an all time high temperature at Radiator Springs and some can't handle the heat. _**

**Disclaimer: None of the recgonsiable characters belong to me. They belong to Disney/Pixar.**

Doc glanced up at the sky. No sign of rain or clouds anywhere. And it was hot, and that could lead to something bad.

Lightning was currently in the shade of Flo's cafe, panting and breaths ragged. He was to worried about him, he had withstood heat like this before at races. But he did keep an eye on him.

Cruz and Jackson were laying in the shade of a Flo's as well, a tub of water in front of them keep them hydrated. He didn't know why Lightning wasn't over there with them, but he brushed lppp

Sally, Mater, Sheriff and Ramone were inside where it was slightly cooler, but not by much. Talia was next to him, and the rest of them were in their own homes.

Talia went back inside the cafe to grab another water bottle and refill Doc's water bucket. She was in a white tank top and jean shorts, trying to keep cool.

Doc looked over at Lightning again. He was still panting, his breaths ragged, but Doc noticed him sweating. _Odd, that usually doesn't happen. _

Curious, he went inside the cafe and called out to Sheriff, asking what the weather was.

"101," he yelled back. They gave each other a worried glance as Doc headed back out the door.

Talia came out again not long after, setting the water bucket in front of Doc as she took a drink from her water bottle.

"Have you given Lightning anything?"

Talia shook her head, whipping sweat off her forehead. "I put a water bucket in front of him but he wouldn't drink it," she looked at him, eyes full of concern.

Doc hummed a bit. "Hey kid, you feelin ok?"

Lightning looked up at him, his head hanging low and his ears drooping. "Yeah... yeah I'm fi-" he began to shake, slightly at first, and it began to get worse by the second.

It only took Doc a moment to realize that he was about a minute away from having a heatstroke. He jumped into action without thinking, telling Talia to run inside and get Sheriff and Red.

She flung the door open and yelled for the two as Doc ran to his clinic, grabbing ice and towels, rinsing them with cold water and rushing back outside. He turned the corner just in time to see Lightning's forelegs buckle. He tried to get back up, couldn't, and fell heavily to his side with a loud groan.

Doc didn't waste anymore time in draping the towels over him, helping cool him off. He put the packet of ice on his face, and saw his nostrils flaring.

"You're gonna be alright kid just relax."

Red and Sheriff came through the door, asking what was wrong. "Lightning's having a heatstroke. Sheriff I need you to keep getting cold, wet towels. Red I need you to spray him off. Talia I need you to get a water bucket."

He remained calm, hoping it would calm Lightning down as well. Lightning remained on the ground, blowing hard through his nostrils and trying to co

ol himself down. Doc could see his sides heaving.

Just then Sheriff came back with fresh towels, and Doc helped him switch the old towels - which were now hot - and replaced them with cold towels. Red began to gently hose him down, covering the colt in cold, fresh water.

Talia set the bucket down in front of his head, but he didn't have the energy to lift his head off the ground.

"Hey Red, put the water in front of his mouth will you? Let him get a drink. Get liquids in him."

Red did as told, and moving his head slightly he lipped at it, flicking his ears.

Doc went into the cafe, checking over everyone else.

He heard Sally ask, "Is everything alright? Talia seemed kinda nervous.

Doc nodded, "Lightning just had a heatstroke. He'll be fine. No need to rush out."

He added the last part to keep Cruz and Sally from running out of the shop.

"Are you sure he'll be alright?" Sally and Flo shared a look, as did Jackson and Cruz.

Doc nodded again. "He'll be fine. We're cooling him off now. As soon as he's up, he's coming in here."

With that he turned back around and walked out the door, knowing they weren't going to have heatstroke themselves.

As soon as he exited, he felt just how much cooler inside was than outside. Knowing it'd be better for Lightning to get inside as soon as he could, he decided to try and get him up instead of waiting for him to get up.

"Hey Red, Sheriff, help me get him standing."

It didn't take much to get the young racer up and walking. Entering the cafe, he was practically jumped by Cruz and Sally, asking if he was ok.

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

"You know the last time ya said that you weren't," Doc quirked a brow at him, frowning, "Next time just tell me if something is wrong and that can be prevented."

Lightning snorted, dropping his head. His breathing was still ragged, but it wasn't fast anymore. Doc let out a slow sigh. _That could've been way worse. _

He was glad Lightning was ok, and for the rest of the day most everyone was in the cafe, talking and staying hydrated.

**A/N: As you can probably tell, I did not know how to end this. I hope it wasn't to boring either. As said, it's hot here. It's humid. Help. Lol**


	3. December Chill

**A/N: So this came about because I was very cold tonight and huddling underneath four blankets... So... yeah enjoy some team fluff. **

**_It's a very cold night at Piston Peak Air Attack. Since the budget cut left no room for blankets, Blade lets the younger members cuddle. _**

**Disclaimer: None of the recognizable characters belong to me. They belong to Disney/Pixar. **

It was extremely cold.

Nothing that Blade couldn't handle. Nothing he hadn't felt before. He had a thick winter coat growing at the moment, at he was mostly fine. True, a little bit of the cold seeped through to touch his skin and make him shiver, but nothing he couldn't push through for a while.

But that didn't mean his team was built the same way.

The younger members were freezing, if the small huddle in the corner of the main hangar was anything to go by. And by the looks of it, Dynamite's Arabian genes weren't saving her from the cold, but making it worse. She was in the middle of the huddle, surrounded by teammates, but Blade could see her shivering all the way from where he was standing. Dusty didn't look to be doing to much better, either.

Frowning, he exited the main hangar and trotted towards the repair bay. He could hear Maru swearing, probably over something he dropped or broke. Or both.

"Hey, Maru."

Said stallion looked up and around at him, "Yeah?"

He slowed to leasurley walk inside, "Do we have blankets anywhere?"

Maru shook his head, "Nope. You can thank Cad for that one. Why?"

Blade sighed, "Kids aren't taking to the cold to well. They're all huddle together 'n the main hangar."

Maru frowned. "I don't think we have heaters in there."

"I know. I don't want to leave them there like that."

Something flashed in Maru's eyes then, and Blade instantly knew he was in for something that could possibly hurt his reputation.

"You should go lay with them. Block the cold from coming in."

Blade glared, "Absoltuely not."

Maru tilted his head, "Why not?"

Blade pinned his ears, but gave no response. Maru smirked, "Cause it'd wreak your reputation of being tough?"

When all he got was an irritated snort and a more intense glare, he knew that was the reason why.

_ "Would you rather have them warm and your reputation wreaked or keep them freezing all night?"_

Blade's glare faultered for a moment, and Maru could see his mind working. It took a few minutes of thinking, but finally Blade sighed and lowered his head, turning around.

"Your coming to. And Cabbie."

Maru smirked, trotting to catch up to the bigger stallion.

"Wonder what the kids'll think."

Blade snorted, glaring at him again. The glare just washed over him, though. He was immune to his friends glares at this point.

Cabbie met them halfway to the main hangar, nodding to Blade and Maru.

"Your kids are cold," Maru decided to jab lightly at Cabbie, lightening the mood.

Cabbie snorted, but otherwise didn't say anything.

When they got to the main hangar, Blade instantly walked over to the small group huddled close together in a corner. He didn't say a word as he laid down, pressing himself against Pinecone, who was on the outside of the huddle.

He faced away from them, pricking his ears towards the door that Maru was currently shutting. It helped a lot with the cold.

At first, he felt her shift forward, so no weight was on him. However when Cabbie laid down on the other side of the group and Maru in between them, he felt Pinecone relax. She didn't lean on him, but he felt her shift back a little.

When he sighed and nickered, that's when she carefully leaned against him. It felt weird to lean on her boss, but he technically told her that it was ok.

He took another deep breath and put his head down, closing his eyes. He felt her shivering next to him, along with Blackout on her other side.

Sighing for what must've been the hundredth time, he got up and switched to his other side, so he was facing the group. He scooted just close enough so that Pinecone could comfortably lean against him but he could also reach Blackout, and if he really stretched he could reach Dynamite in the middle of the huddle.

He let Pinecone lean against him again before reaching over her to lay his head on Blackout for a moment. The colt flinched at first, but then it turned into more of a shiver as a breeze slipped through the windows.

He could see Dynamite shivering, even as she was pressed against several of her teammates. Blade frowned. She was really cold then, if she was still shivering like she was.

He groaned, and Maru turned his head a bit to look at him. He nodded to Dynamite, who was still shivering.

"Well then have her trade places with Pinecone. You're obviously the warmest one here," he whispered.

He nudged Pinecone, "Mind trading places with Dynamite?"

She shook her head and stood up, while Cabbie - having overhead everything - nudged Dynamite and probably told her what was happening. She stood up as well and carefully made her way towards Blade, shivering the entire time.

When she laid down next to him, he immidatley pulled her close. He rubbed his head along her neck and shoulder, keeping his body around her but also as close to his other teammates as he could be.

When her shivering subsided, he relaxed his head over her side, looking around. He saw Cabbie letting Drip and Dusty lean into him, drawing heat from the older war horse. Maru has his back to the wind, shielding Avalanche and Pinecone from the oncoming wind. He closed his eyes, then, letting himself fall asleep with the knowledge that his team was safe.

**A/N: No, nobody is being shipped in this particular one. Blade just wants his team to be safe and _warm in the winter. _**

**Typos are everywhere because I did not check this. **


	4. My Fault

**A/N: So... yeah... this... this is supposed to be depressing. Hopefully I hit you right in the feels, hopefully. But if I don't, I hope everything else is ok then... and I hope Blade doesn't seem OOC. Yeah... enjoy. **

**_The team gets into some deep trouble, to the point where it almost killed more than one of them. Blade almost didn't save them in time, and the realization hits him hard. _**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters. Disney/Pixar does. **

It was supposed to just be a good time out in the woods, at the lake. Cooling off, having fun, bonding. Of course, Blade had stayed at base, doing paperwork.

He had left his hanger door open, mostly to feel the breeze. It was quite boring standing around and doing paperwork, sometimes it could get hot as well. So the breeze felt nice. On top of that, he could hear his team - barely, but he could. And it settled him.

At the lake, his team enjoyed plowing through the water, sending waves over each other's heads. The jumpers, Dusty, Dipper and occasionally Maru and Patch were happy in the water, while Cabbie and Windlifter were content to just watch them play.

Most times, everything was fine. They went down, played some games, had fun, relaxed, and went back to base. They usually didn't run into any _problems_, per se, but every once in a while they would. Normally it's something small, like a venemous snake, a wolf or two. It wasn't anything they couldn't handle.

This time was different.

Cabbie had constantly been hearing rustling behind him in the bushes. But since Windlifter, who was next to him, hadn't heard it, he had assumed it was just him hearing things. So, he'd focused back on the group in front of him.

Dusty was chasing Avalanche and Blackout around in the water, powerful body launching himself forward and sending waves around him. Dynamite, Patch and Pinecone stood still in the water, up to their chests, talking and watching the boys. Drip was currently trying to swim under water, much to Maru's amusement.

Nobody could sense the oncoming danger.

Blade could clearly hear the scream from inside his hangar. If he hadn't known better, he would've mistaken it for some type of bird or another horse nearby trapped. But he _knew _the sound of his team, and he _knew _that particular scream. As rare as it was heard, he knew who it belonged to.

Cabbie _never _screamed like that unless something was terribly wrong. That alone almost sent him into a panic, but when he heard Dynamite's shrill scream, and another neigh type sound that he didn't recognize, _that _sent him into a full fledge panic.

He wasted no time in whipping himself around, bursting out of his hangar and flying across the tarmac. Pinned ears, outstretched neck, muscles tight. He moved as fast as his legs could carry him.

He jumped over bushes, logs, everything that was in his way. He had no _time _to go around things. He needed to get to his team as fast as he could. Even if it was a false alarm, he couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk losing his team. His _family. _The only thing he'd ever known since losing Nick.

Nick... he'd been the closest to Blade. They were almost like brothers. The only thing that stopped them from being brothers, was they weren't blood related. And since Blade hasn't grown up with a mother, and had a father that wasn't around often, who also got drunk a lot, Nick was his leader. Nick has taught him most of what he knew now.

He was there for him when nobody else had been.

When he lost Nick, he'd had no one to lean on. He'd had no one to show him the way. He'd built a wall up so nothing could hurt him like _that incident _had. But, somehow, his little team had fought their way into his heart, and he couldn't bear to lose them. Not now, when Nick's death still haunted him.

He would do everything in his power to _save them. _

Clearing another patch of shrubbery, he shook the horrifying thought of them dying out of his head. He just _could not _lose them.

If it meant he had to die to save them, then so be it. He just... could _not lose them. _

He finally broke through the trees and saw what had been the cause of alarm. Four stallions, one of which he recognized to be Cad.

He didn't know why he was here, or with the other stallions. All he knew was they were trying to hurt his team and he'd do everything in his power to stop them from doing so.

Without thinking, he lunged at Cad. The older stallion didn't seem him coming, and he was able to latch onto the top of his neck. He bit down hard, pushing off with his hind legs and pulling him away from Dynamite.

When he let go of his neck, he whipped his head around.

"Go!"

There must've been so much pain in his eyes, so much worry, because he locked gazes with a couple of his teammates. They looked _terrified_.

"Now!" He said it with a little more force that time, but still the same pleading tone he had.

_Get someplace safe, please. _

He locked eyes with Windlifter. _Lead them to safety, _his eyes held fear and pain in them, pain of the possibility of losing his team, _please._

Windlifter, with a look of sorrow and fear, began to run towards base. With everyone on his tail. Blade watched them for a second before turning back to Cad and lunging at him again.

All thoughts turned once again to the enemy before and around him. He pinned his ears to his head and fought. Biting at the opponents neck, face, side and striking at the chest, trying to find a weak spot.

It was four against one, though. That never really worked out well did it. It was never ending, how many times he must've turned sharp to keep from getting bitten or kicked. They each moved in at different moments, trying to wear him out.

Newsflash! He wouldn't give in without a fight. Especially if it meant that his team would get hurt _or worse, _killed.

He didn't know how long he fought, how long he tried to fend them off. But he could feel his strength slowly ebbing away. But he could also _see _his enemies strength was fading as well.

Finally, with one last bit to the jugular, Cad went down. He went down with such a loud thud, Blade was sure he'd heard birds scatter from the trees surrounding the edge of the lake.

Everything went still. Nothing moved, nobody spoke. Blade's sides heaved, blood and sweat dripping down his face, his neck, his sides. His nostrils flared, froth just beginning to form on his chest and in between his hind legs.

He stood over Cad, who's white coat was smeared with blood and darkened with sweat. Blade arched his neck, baring his teeth.

Without saying a word, fear in his body and fear in his eyes, he stood up and bolted, heading away from base. The three others turned and headed after them. For extra measure, Blade chased them a ways, biting at their hindquarters.

He slowed down before he reached the lodge. He watched them leave, scampering away like a wounded and afraid wolf.

Once they were no longer in his field of vision, he turned around and began the walk back to his base. He let his head hang low, nostrils flaring. His chest hurt from trying to breathe so hard.

Hell, _everything _hurt. His legs, his neck, his face. Everything. He had fought for what felt like hours, even though it was most likely only forty five minutes.

It took him another hour to reach base. By then, most of the sweat and blood had dried, exposing fresh wounds. Some were deep, others mere scratches.

Once he reached the top of the long hill that lead to his base, he saw the team. Safe, unharmed, if a bit shaken.

Seeing them, with the adrenaline worn off, the reality of what _could have happened _hit him square in the face.

He stopped fast, his eyes widening. His four legs stood apart, as if trying to keep himself from falling. His eyes were unfocused, not meeting any of the teams eyes.

Maru was the first to try and approach him, "Are you ok, Blade?"

Blade, sides beginning to heave again and nostrils flaring, looked up at him. He mumbled something unintelligible, before looking away again.

"What was that?"

"I could've lost you," he said it with the painful realization that had he gotten there a moment later, some of his team may have been dead.

"Blade-" Maru tried to comfort him, tried to tell him that he got there in time.

But Blade wouldn't let him. Suddenly, the big stallion was backing up, fast. Stumbling at moments until he reached the edge of the cliff. Where the hill started.

"I could've lost you all," his voice was ragged, tired and pained, "What if I hadn't gotten there in time?"

His head sank below his chest, to the ground. His knees buckled, hitting the ground the same time his nose brushed it. "I could've _lost you all."_

Maru and Cabbie shared a concerned look. Blade wasn't one to panic over something like this.

"Blade, you _did _get there in time."

"But what if I hadn't? I could've lost you..." his mouth was hanging open, "And it would've been _my fault."_

"Blade-"

"_My fault."_

The team gave each other fearful and concerned glances. They'd never seen their boss like this. So vulnerable, and scared. And when he started shaking, that's when Maru new something had to be done.

Maru moved up to check Blade's deeper wounds. "Dynamite, get me some medical wrap!"

Without a word Dynamite whirled around and raced to the repair bay. Maru searched for anymore deep wounds while talking soothingly to Blade, trying to get him to calm down. He was on the edge of having a panic attack.

Once Dynamite brought the wrap back, he wrapped it around his deep wounds, deciding it would be best to stitch them and treat them when Blade wasn't as jumpy or shaky.

He lead Blade to the main hangar, and got him to lay down. He mostly just let himself collapse, probably from exhaustion, but either way he was down.

Maru laid down next to him, resting his head on Blade's withers. He was careful not to hurt any of his wounds.

Dusty was the next to come over to him and lay down, leaning slightly against him. The rest soon came in after him, pressing themselves against their chief.

Nobody knew how long it had been before they felt Blade relax, stop shaking, his breathing return to normal. His nostrils stopped flaring, and his eyes slid shut. He fell asleep, finally. Not long after, feeling safe now that their boss was relaxed, the rest of his team - family - feel asleep not long after.

Everything would be alright. He'd protected them, he'd protect them till the day he died.

**A/N: Sooooooo really had no idea how in the world to end this. And, yeah it didn't really hit the feels did it? No? Oops, ok, I'll try harder next time I decide to write a depressing Fic...**


	5. Nightmares

**A/N: So I was watching cars (again) and this came to mind. It's just a short, hopefully fluffy ****Folley oneshot. Haha I love them two.**

**_Sometimes, Holley woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat due to nightmares. Finn never failed to comfort her. _**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. Disney/Pixar owns them. **

_Stuck inside Big Bentley, presses against Finn as the gears began to turn once again. One minute closer to their inevitable death. _

_She saw Finn looking around, probably trying to figure out how to escape. She began looking around as well, frantically trying to find a way to escape. _

_She pulled at the ropes binding her to the gears. However, they only tightened against them. She heard Finn grunt, felt something wet begin to drip down her chest. _

_She looked down, and saw red liquid dripping from her chest and onto the gears. Blood. From the rope cutting so deeply into her skin. _

_The clock gears turned again. One more turn, and they'd both be dead. _

_Finn sighed, and stopped looking around. He hung his head, closing his eyes. __They had failed. And they'd pay with their lives. It was a concept Holley wasn't new too. _

_As Finn accepted it, she did too. As she did, the clock gears began to shift towards the pointer gear, coming down closer to her head..._

She woke with a start, breathing heavily. She looked around, panicking, her eyes wide and white as she whipped her head around in every direction. Her carefully dished face thrown up, nostrils flaring.

After a few moments, she began to settle down. She was shaking, she realized, looking at her body and noticing the sweat build up on her neck and shoulders.

She sighed and hung her head, this wasn't new.

Ever since the clock tower incident, Holley had nightmares about what _could _have happened. If they'd actually died. She knew full well that they could have, and that's what put her on edge.

It happened more often than she liked. At least four times every week for a couple months after the incident. She'd been careful not to wake Finn up during that period. A task easier said than done, because he slept quite close to her.

It wasn't her fault she woke so often from nightmares. She was only four years old after all, had just finished her training with Finn a few months before the mission. She was young, and hadn't been on enough missions to fully accept everything that happened on missions.

Within a few months, the nightmares had begun to decrease. She didn't have them as often anymore. Normally, Finn and her got a full nights sleep.

Tonight, after a long, exhausting mission, a nightmare decided to come and overtake her dreams again.

She felt someone shift next to her. Sent into another panic, still not having fully recovered from her latest nightmare, she sprang up.

She bolted a few feet before whipping around. Flanks heaving with heavy breaths, she pricked her ears towards the horse laying on the ground. And who's weight she'd felt.

Finn quirked a curious brow at her. He frowned, standing up.

"Are you alright?"

His voice was soft, curious, and worried. He lowered and extended his head, flaring his nostrils a couple times. He didn't take any steps closer, he knew she liked the space when she got like this.

Holley didn't respond. She let her breathing return to normal, knowing everything was fine. She didn't have a clue as to _why _she reacted the way she did. It wasn't like her to freak out like that all the time.

She'd thought she had grown out of that by now. That mission had been nearly eight months ago.

Finn picked his head up, expression complete worry at this point. He didn't like seeing his partner this distressed. And if he was honest, it made him uncomfortable and on edge.

"Holley?"

She looked up at him. Her ears flicked nervously, back and forth. He nostrils flared, trying to steady her breathing.

"Come here, Holley."

Once again, his voice flowed through her body, making her slightly less afraid. Afraid of the nightmare that could've became a reality had she not thought of her electroshocks.

Cautiously, slowly, she moved back towards Finn, who'd laid down again. He watched her as she came closer and laid down next to him again, clearly still agitated.

He laid his head on her shoulders, which were still slightly damp from sweat. He began to rub his head against her in a comforting way, letting her know he was really there and wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Closing his eyes he murmured sweat nothings to her, trying to get her to calm down.

She flicked an ear back at him, listening. His voice, once again, flowed through her and washed her worries away. Soft, low, and comforting, he always found a way to make her feel at ease.

It took close to a half hour before her breathing was back to normal, and another fifteen minutes for the sweat to try and her nostrils to stop flaring. She leaned against Finn, closing her eyes and taking in his scent, relishing in the fact that he was _here_.

She sighed heavily, stretching herself out. She could feel Finn's breathing, hear his steady heartbeat. It soothed her almost has much as his voice did.

Closing her eyes, it didn't take long for her to go back to sleep. Finn stayed up for a while longer, watching her for any more signs of another nightmare. When he saw none, he laid his head back down on her side and fell asleep, knowing she'd eventually be ok.

**A/N: So, hope that was kind of fluffy. Hurt/comfort type thing. I tried. **


	6. From the Past

**A/N: SOOOOO I was listening to a song, and THIS came to mind. It's pretty cheesy but I like it. I like picturing these things and then writing them. **

**_Seeing someone from your past can make you happy or sad/angry. For Blade, this time it was both. _**

**_(Part 1 of 2) _**

**Warning: Mild, mild adult theme at the end, please be aware of that. **

**Disclaimer: Disney/Pixar own all characters except my OC's Jade and Striker. **

Blade stood in Maru's repair bay, letting the medic give him a quick check up. He poked places, asking if this or that hurt, to move things for him and such. He stood still, listening and doing as asked. He watched what was happening outside, which at the moment consisted of what looked like a jump off between the jumpers and Dusty. Cabbie was in his hangar doing who knew what, Dipper was watching some show in the main hangar and Patch was in her tower. Windlifter, on top of his hangar and laying down was watching the forest, ears pricked. Blade briefly wondered what he had heard or seen, but shook the thought away and turned his attention back to the jump off, making sure nobody ended up getting hurt.

"Pick your right front up." Maru's voice sounded off his right side, and without much thought he shifted his weight and did as told.

He poked around the bottom of his hoof, and when Blade didn't give any reaction or sign of discomfort, he let him put his leg back down.

"Right hind." Again, Blade did as told, flicking his ears back to listen.

It was at that moment that Blade saw Windlifter stand up, still looking at the forest and ears still forward. Blade tensed, pricking his ears and flaring his nostrils. Maru felt him tense and stopped poking, "Anything hurt?"

"No."

He came from around his flank, "What're you watching?"

Blade didn't give an answer. Maru could see Windlifter looking in the same direction and figured Blade had tensed when Windlifter stood (he knew he hadn't been standing before).

Maru stood by him for a minute, and seeing nothing he went back to continue his check up. Blade lifted his hind left leg for Maru, and he began poking again. Both Blade and Windlifter continued to watch.

Windlifter suddenly took a couple steps forward, dropping his head an inch and flicking his ears. Blade stood still, Maru still had his hoof anyway. He couldn't move even if he wanted to.

Windlifter's head moved a bit, telling Blade that whatever he was staring at had moved. Blade continued to watch, mentally preparing himself to fight something. However, he didn't have to.

Another horse appeared over the ridge, ears forward. The horse watched Windlifter, cautious of him.

God, that sure looked like...

"Mom," He'd said it so quietly he didn't think Maru even heard him.

Blade didn't give him a chance to let go of his hoof. He jerked it away from him, putting it down before launching himself forward. He arched his neck, flicking his ears forward and running towards her. The grin on his face gave him away - the fake charge meant nothing.

As he passed the jumpers and Dusty, they all stopped to stare after him. Whenever Blade did that, it usually meant something was bound to happen. Apparently though, not this time.

She recognized him just like Blade had recognized her. She grinned, pricking his ears. "Blade!"

When Blade reached her, he slowed just enough to dance around her, throwing his head around. She watched him, laughing. They were just happy to see each other.

He faced her fully, stopped moving as they stared at each other. It'd been _so long _since they'd seen each other.

"You've gotten so big," she smiled at him, developing a softer look as did Blade.

He wrapped his head around her neck, and she did the same, rubbing her nose along his neck. Both horses eyes were closed, focusing on the other and drawing in each other's scent again.

_It'd been so freaking long. _

They stayed that way for a good five minutes until Blade pulled away, smile still in place. He touched his nose to hers, giving his mother another nuzzle.

He backed away, giving them space to fully see each. His mom titled her head a bit, "Spin around, let me see you. You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you."

Blade did as he was told, dipping his head and slowly turning around. The last time he'd seen her, he was only a year old. Now, he was seven. He'd gotten much bigger, much stronger.

When he met her eyes again, they had tears in them. "I've missed you so much."

Once again, Blade nuzzled her, "I've missed you to."

They stood quietly for a moment, and then moved back again. With a hint of hesitation and fear in he asked "Is dad here?"

Her eyes grew serious and somewhat sad, "Yes. He's at the lodge. But we won't worry about him right now ok?" She smiled, "From what Mr. Jammer told me, you're the chief here?"

Blade grinned again, nodding. "Yes. I'll introduce you to them."

_

He introduced her to the smokejumpers first.

"These are the smokejumpers. That's Dynamite, the smokejumper captain," Dynamite tossed her head, flaring her nostrils. "Then it's Blackout, Drip, Avalanche and Pinecone. This is my mother."

She smiled and nodded to them. "You can call me Jade." They responded by nodding back, smiling back at her.

Blade moved to the repair bay, pinning his ears playfully as he approached. "This is Maru. Our medic and mechanic. Maru, this is my mom."

He bowed, grinning. "Nice to meet ya ma'am."

"Please, call me Jade. And it's nice to meet you to."

"Will do."

Blade turned and lead her over to Windlifters hangar. He'd jumped down upon her arrival, so neither had to look up at him.

"This is my lieutenant, Windlifter."

"Nice to meet you," Jade smiled at him, and he nodded back, offering a small smile.

Blade lead her to the main hangar, "He's not one for talking."

She chuckled, "That's alright."

"That's Dipper. Dipper this is my mother, Jade."

The younger mare, surprised, whipped her head around. "Oh. Hi! Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you to."

"Have you seen Dusty anywhere? He was with the jumpers a few minutes ago, but I don't see him with them."

Dipper shook her head and Blade sighed. He gave her a quick nod and turned, heading over to Cabbie's hangar.

"This is our jump horse, Cabbie. He brings the smokejumpers to the fire line. Cabbie this is my mother, Jade."

Cabbie smiled, putting his head in between his chest in a partial bow. "Pleasure to meet you ma'am!"

"Pleasure to meet you to, and please call me Jade," she smiled at him. Blade was just happy his team got along with his mother.

"Have you seen Dusty by any chance?"

Cabbie tipped his head over to the forest line, "He jumped in there."

"Thank you," and with that Blade whirled around and trotted to the tower.

"That's is our tower control, Patch."

Patch, from up in her tower, just tossed her head and smiled at them. Jade smiled back.

"Stay here for a moment," Blade told her before trotting to the forest line.

"Dusty? You in here Champ?"

He looked around for him, and then saw a flash of red and white out of the corner of his eye. His face softened.

"Nothin to be afraid of. You can come out."

Slowly, cautiously Dusty stepped out from behind the tree and moved closer to him. "Who was that?"

"That's my mother. Your grandmother."

"I have a grandmother?"

Blade snorted. "Come on, you'll like her."

He turned back around and Dusty followed him. He hid behind Blade, and Blade let him.

Once he stopped in front of Jade, he stepped a bit off to the side to let her get a good view of Dusty. He glanced behind him, "Mom, this is my son, Dusty."

Her eyes widened, mouth dropping open. "You have a kid?"

Blade nodded, smiling back at Dusty and then looking back at his mother. She took a few steps towards him, soft smile in place.

"Hey, nice to meet you," He skittishly put his nose towards her, pricking his ears. "He looks just like you, Blade."

A snort from behind them, "Once he comes around, he acts like it to."

Blade pinned his ears, growling softly as Maru snickered. "You know I'm right."

"Uh huh."

Jade grinned, turning back around to face the two, "Do you know who the mother is?"

Blade gave her the most innocent smile he could pull off, dropping his head. Maru snickered again.

"You have no idea, do you?" His mother quirked a brow, giving him an unimpressed stare.

"Uuhhhh... no."

She smiled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "You have a lovely team, Blade."

He brought his head back up, "Thank you."

_

"You could stay the night here, you know."

"I know but your father would kill me if I didn't get down there. Literally."

Blade sighed. He knew.

"Speaking of, is he coming up here?"

"Mhm. Sadly. Tomorrow afternoon."

"What's he got coming for me this time?"

"Well, you and I both know he's gonna test you again. How he will is anyone's guess, but I know you're going to have to fight for one reason or another. He might go after you're team, especially Dusty."

Another sigh, "Yeah. I know. I'd rather not fight, but if that's what he wants I may as well show him who's boss."

Jade gave him a soft smile, "I know you will. I know you can beat him to. You're a brute compared to him, now. He got fat from the last time you saw him."

A snort. "Yeah? Well if that's the case he could probably just use weight against me."

"But In doing so he lost some muscle. You're stronger than he is."

"I hope so. I can't lose them. If I can't defend them, I might."

"No, sweetheart you won't lose them. As I said, you're stronger and smarter than he is. You can beat him if he does try anything."

Blade dropped his head a couple inches, looking away, "Ya think?"

"I know."

He looked up at her, "I don't want any of them getting hurt if I can't beat him."

"They won't. By the looks of it, any of them could outrun your father if need be," she lowered her head, pressing her forehead against his neck, "You don't need to worry to much about him. You're as much of a threat to him as he is to you."

Blade sighed again, "I know. But I don't want to risk it, either."

"I know. I felt the same way when I had you."

"I need to protect them."

"Then give it your best. Now I have to go," she nuzzled him, "I'll be back up tomorrow ok?"

"See ya tomorrow, mom. Careful."

She smiled at him, "I will."

**A/N: So I was in Florida on vacation and I got sunburn please help me.**

**... anyway, I hope ya'll liked this. I know it's a bit cheesy in places and Blade may seem a bit OCC but I still like it (I had this idea for a little bit now and I wanted to write it out so I did) And yeah, Blade didn't know who the mother was because there is no way he didn't... ya know, fool around when he was making the shows. **

**But my GOD Is character development hard or what? Jade is supposed to be gentle and sweet, the complete opposite of - wait I can't tell you all yet. That'd spoil the next chapter and I can't do that now can I? Haha, suspense. Also, the reason Dusty ran and hid is because when he was way younger, his step father used to beat him and have his friends do it to. So he's always cautious of new faces that pop out of nowhere like Jade did. Lol. Again, hope ya'll liked this!**

**I know there are typos in here. Somewhere. **


	7. From the Past (part 2)

**A/N: Part 2 of 'From the Past' because I have nothing better to do and I've lost all motivation for any story but this so *deep breath* HERE YA GO. **

**_Seeing someone from your past can make you happy or sad/angry. For Blade, this time it was both._**

**_(Part 2 of 2)_**

**_Warning: Fight scene, mild blood. If you are sensitive to that, don't read this. _**

**Disclaimer: Disney/Pixar owns all characters except Jade and Striker, they are my OC's. **

For the most of the next day, Blade had his ears pricked towards the lodge, anxiously pacing. Every once in a while, he'd stop to nudge another who had picked up on his nerves.

All day he'd been like that, and only stopped when he heard two very familiar voices. One he loved, the other he strongly disliked.

He steeled himself up, turning his head back and looking behind him. He tilted his head at the jumpers, telling them to head into the main hangar. They looked at each other, confused, but trotted to the main hangar with Cabbie following after them.

Everyone else followed the six into the hangar, not taking the chance of being caught alone. If Blade had motioned for the jumpers to go, and Cabbie had followed, they weren't taking any chances.

The two created the ridge, and Blade moved forward to great them, set on keeping his father _away _from his team. They were smaller than him, he could easily hurt one of them.

Upon spotting his son, the black and red Friesian cross stallion grinned. It was so fake, Blade almost snorted. "Hey son! Long time no see!"

Blade glared in response, standing with his forelegs braced apart and neck arched. It was a somewhat threatening posture, and the younger members of the base had only seen it twice. Both times it had been with Cad.

"No hi back for your ol' dad?" So fake. Such fake happiness.

Blade pinned his ears as his father moved around him, circling him. He refused to move or twitch, even when his father got close to his flank as if he'd nip him. If he did, he'd kick him.

And his mother had been right about one thing - his father _had_ gotten fatter. Instead of the 1,200 pounds he should be at, he was probably somewhere around 1,400. Blade himself was supposed to weigh the same as his father, 1,200, but he weighed around 1,100. Most of which was made up of muscle.

If his father _did _decide to attack him, weight may be an issue. He knew his father could use that weight as a weapon, nevermind his biting and kicking. Although, if he was fatter, Blade could use weight as his weapon. He weighed less, which meant he was more agile...

"Boy, you've grown some muscle haven't you?"

Blade raised his head, again not answering. He saw his mother slip by them and into the main hangar, where the rest of his team gladly let her in.

Dynamite eyed her and then the two stallions still staring at each other. She whispered, "What's his problem?"

"Striker? He's always had something against Blade, even if he _is _his son. I don't know why. And when Blade was younger, he'd always get pushed around and wasn't able to fight back. Now," a quiet, shuddering inhale, "He will be able to."

Fearful glances among the team.

"What'll he do to Chief?"

Jade sighed again, dropping her head and shutting her eyes tight. "I'm not sure. But when he was younger he'd push him into walls, bite him and pin him to the ground. Anytime Blade tried fighting back, Striker would just get rougher."

She looked up at them, pain in her eyes. "That's where most of his scars are from. If you ever see the under side of his stomach, or his neck, you'll see a good amount of scarring. And that's all from Striker."

Dynamite shared a worried glance with Cabbie. "So, what'll he do, now that Blade's bigger?"

"I don't know. But I do know this is going to end very, very terribly. Perhaps with Blade hurt."

Another wave of worried glances and snorts among the team as they watched Blade and Striker.

"So, where's this team of yours I heard about from the Super?"

"Their none of your concern," Blade growled, but by the way his father said it (and the fact they weren't very well hidden) he knew exactly where they were.

"Oh really now?" Striker's voice had taken on a dangerous edge, "Well, we'll see about that."

Before Blade could stop him, Striker whirled around to face the main hangar and charged it. Blade could see Cabbid tense up, flinging his head around.

However, this wasn't Cabbie's fight. This was _his. _

Blade whirled around, screaming and pinning his ears flat to his head. He bolted after him, outstretching his neck, bared teeth. Once he caught up to him, which didn't take more than a few seconds, he nipped his father's flank. It startled the older just enough where he slowed down, and Blade took the advantage to swing his head into his side.

This knocked Striker off balance, sending him sideways. He slowed down, and Blade moved to stand in front of the main hangar entrance. In front of his team.

Striker glared at Blade. "You've got some guts kid."

Blade threw his head up, coming off his forelegs. Rearing, he pawed at Striker, baring his teeth. Without hesitation, Striker met him.

Everyone flinched at the sound. It was a sound that meant a fight had started, and their leader, protector, and friend could very well get hurt. Or worse.

Blade dropped his head, then flung it back up. His head connected with the underside of Striker's. The older stallion snorted, taking a couple steps back. He took the opportunity to launch himself off his hind legs, slamming into his father again.

Striker fell backwards as Blade jumped over him, narrowly missing his head. Once he landed, Blade kicked out with a hind leg. He didn't want to take any chances. And that was a fair warning not to underestimate how much power he had behind him.

He turned around quickly, pricking his ears. His nostrils flaring, taking in everything around him. His senses had kicked up, making him more aware of his surroundings. Unconsciously, his body was preparing for a fight.

Striker pulled himself up, already starting to pant. He laid his ears flat, extending his neck and giving Blade a deathly glare.

If looks could kill, Blade would've been dead.

"You've got some nerve, boy."

Blade pawed the ground, pulling chunks of grass and dirt up. He arched his neck, blowing through his nostrils. He wanted to avoid a fight at all costs, so he had to try _showing _how strong he was. If that didn't work, he would have no choice but to fight.

Striker did seem to look him over, a quick flash of almost fear in his eyes before he growled and lashed out at Blade. He jumped sideways, bending his body to avoid the blow. He arched his neck, baring his teeth in another warning.

As always, though, Striker didn't heed the warning. He came at Blade again, striking with both forelegs. In turn, the fire chief snorted, pinned his ears and once again lunges at Striker.

The two rose into the air again, Blade going up first. He struck out, catching his father's neck with his hoof and making a cut. The other took a very brief second to look at his new cut, then swung his massive head towards Blade's.

He flung his head up in an attempt to avoid it, but ended up getting hit in the neck. It didn't do much harm. He arched his neck, grabbing hold of the top of his sire's neck.

Striker screamed, falling back onto his forelegs and biting at Blade's jugular. That was a sensitive part, Blade knew if he managed to sink his teeth there, he would not win.

So, with trying to avoid _that, _he ended up going further back than he had wanted. With a high pitches, surprised, squeal type sound, he fell over backwards. He landed with a soft thud, looking up just in time to see Striker rearing over him.

His eyes widened as he rolled over, scrambling to his feet as fast as he could. He dipped his hindquarters, bolting, with Striker chasing after him.

Slowing down just a bit, he let Striker get close enough to bite his flank. With a glint in his eyes that his team had never seen before and would rather not put a name to, he kicked with both hind legs, hitting his father square in the face.

Striker instantly slowed down, blinking. The pain that was shooting through his entire head was enough to blind him for a moment. Blade whirled around, charging him. Since Striker couldn't see, it was the perfect opportunity.

Blade rammed into him, knocking him off balance and once more throwing Striker to the ground. He bit the older stallions chest, tearing at the skin and drawing blood.

He was thrown off of him when Striker's hind legs connected with the underside of his stomach. That hurt a bit more than Blade would admit (and later left dark bruises). He groaned, backing up. Striker threw himself off the ground and back at Blade, who stumbled backwards.

Once again rearing and chomping at Blade's face, the younger stallion didn't have time to react until he felt immense pain on his ear.

He felt blood trickle down his face, heard his team gasp and a couple cried out, and Striker looked amazed, before an evil grin took over his face.

He didn't dare try to look, he knew he couldn't see it anyway, and he didn't try to think about what had just happened to much. Though, he had a sneaking suspicion a part of his ear had just been torn off.

A dangerous growl escaped his throat as he turned again on his father. With new strength surging through his entire body, he lowered himself to the ground.

He tensed, then launched himself towards Striker. He reared, leaping forward at the same time and pawing. This caused Striker to back up quickly, moving his face out of the way. Blade came down on all fours again, but went right back up and did the same thing again.

He kept forcing him back again and again, getting him closer to the edge of the cliff. Fear slowly overcame Striker, and in an attempt to keep from getting any closer, he met Blade in the air.

However, Blade was prepared. As soon as Striker had come off his forelegs, he slammed his entire weight into him. Which forced Striker to the ground. Blade landed on top of him and didn't hesitate to bite Striker's jugular.

From there, the two fought for about ten more minutes. It certainly felt longer, especially for those watching. Blade and Striker were evenly matched, even if Blade's muscle counted for Strikers fat. They could both use whatever they had to their advantage.

There was one point, in those ten minutes, where everyone thought Blade wouldn't be able to get back up. Striker had managed to pick Blade off his feet and throw him a few feet away. Blade landed on his left side, then rolled once, banging his head against the ground.

Everyone's eyes had widened, the breath leaving a few of them.Blade had brought himself back up, bleeding in multiple places, and went back to the fight.

They tore at each other, with bared teeth and flashing hooves, ears pinned. It went on, until Blade threw Striker to the ground a final time.

Whether it be from pain or exhaustion, no one knew for sure. But Striker growled, shooting Blade a wary look. Blade, for his part, stood still above him, ears flat against his head and sides heaving.

Without a word, Striker raised himself up and gave Blade one last cold glare before turning around and heading back to the lodge.

When he was out of sight, Blade dropped his head, closing his eyes and heaving a sigh. He flicked his good ear back when he heard his team approaching him.

They flung themselves at him, careful not to hurt him, though. Dusty threw his head around his neck, Jade dropped her head to be level with his in order to nuzzle him, the jumpers pressed themselves against him, and the rest surrounded him on the outside. Worriedly watching him.

Maru began cleaning his more major wounds, all the while muttering angrily under his breath. Blade opened his eyes to see Jade staring at his forehead.

"What?"

"Your ear..."

He'd completely forgotten about that. He jerked his head up, looking behind him at Maru. "What's wrong with my ear?"

Maru glances up, wincing. He took a quick breath before answering him. "He tore some of it off."

Blade snorted, mostly from surprise. "How much is gone?"

Maru looked up again, "A little above the middle."

Honestly, he was surprised it didn't hurt all that much. Almost half his ear had been torn off, and despite the blood he really didn't feel anything.

He was sure it was his bodies shock, from having something _torn off. _He was also sure it would wear off later, and the pain would hit him.

Maru, once done with his other injuries along his flank, neck and shoulder regions, he moved up to his ear.

"Drop your head for me."

He did, letting Maru see it. Carefully, he whiped the blood away - out of his ear, and off his face where it had dried.

"It should heal up fine. But you'll be missing half your ear for the rest of your life."

Blade sighed, rolling his eyes. It didn't bother him all to much, as long as he could still hear. And it didn't get infected.

And then they stood there, pressed together, for a good five minutes. His mothers always soft voice came from in front of him again. "We were worried about you."

"Yeah, when you got thrown down and rolled that one time, we didn't think you'd get back up," Drip and the other jumpers shared a Still Mildly Concerned look.

"I'm fine."

Maru snorted, "You will be, when your injuries heal. You took one hell of a beating out there."

"I'm aware."

Jade chuckled, nuzzling him, "I'm just glad your ok."

"You're not going back down there, are you?"

She shook her head, "No. I'm not going with him anymore. It's better up here," she smiled at him, "Besides, I like your team, the scenery. It's nice."

Blade smiled back. He'd proven himself to his father, and if he had any problem with his mother staying with him.

He'd just beat him up again.

**A/N: I'm a sucker for protection stuff. That's why I write a lot of it, lol. And as you can see, this was a pretty dang long chapter (just how I intended... totally) Didn't completely know how to end this, either. **

**Yeah, Striker's a jerk. He wasn't very nice to Blade, like, ever. And as I was saying in part 1, Jade is supposed to be sweet and caring (a total sweetheart), and Striker is mean and uncaring. He's very obnoxious. Blade took after his mother mostly, but still has a few of his father's qualities. (For instance, lack of kindness at moments). **

**That being said, Jade stands at about 18 hands or so, while Striker is at 20. Blade, well, he's bigger than both. He stands around (I think I said it before, so if I'm wrong don't attack me) 21. Dusty is at 18.2 in this story, but by the time he's done growing he'll stand around 20-21 hands. He's one of the taller on base. (The tallest is Cabbie - at 22.1 which is friggin huge. I don't think a _real _horse has reached that height, though I could be wrong. I do know a few horses have reached 21 but I dunno for sure about 22). All of these are measured from the horses feet to their withers - the bump between the bottom of their neck and back. One hand is 4 inches, so Blade is freakin 7 feet tall. Haha no I wouldn't want to mess with him. Striker is 6.6 feet, but I still wouldn't want to mess with either of them... **

**SO THAT WAS LONG! I'm sorry if I was being boring but HEY ya learn something new everyday. And you might be able to understand some stuff that I talk about in fanfics. I'm rambling. Oh well. **


	8. Fire

**A/N: *sitting in the shower* *comes up with perfect plot, dialogue, the scenes and characters* *rushes to get phone to write* *forgets everything* *hours later remembers and has to write _this*_**

**_Sometimes, things went wrong. _**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters - Disney/Pixar does. **

Sometimes, no matter how hard Blade tried, things still went horribly wrong.

And this happened to be one of those times. The fire had been raging for hours, everyone was growing tired, muscles sore and lungs hurt. Dusty has started coughing a while ago, it had progressively been getting worse until his entire body was rocking with each violent cough. Dipper had just begun coughing, and over the radio, every once in a while he could hear Dynamite (and any other jumper if they were in range) coughing.

He sighed, looking back at the fire. It had grown far out of their control, now, and it was continuing to spread at a rapid rate. That's when he heard Dynamite's voice over the radio, loud and clear.

"_Fall back! The fires on top of us, fall back!_"

His head snapped below him, towards the jumpers. The fire _was _pretty much on top of them, and he groaned. It was time for his entire team to fall back, this fire was growing far to out of control, and before long someone was bound to get hurt.

"Alright everyone, pull back. This thing is swiftly outgrowing what we can do, let's go!"

No sooner had he said that, he heard Dynamite's panicked voice. For her, any panic was rare.

"_Blade, Drip got cut off by the fire! I can't see him!_"

Blade turned back towards the jumpers. He checked his retardant tank, only to find it was empty. He snorted, _of course. _

He circled around the jumpers once, looking down. He spotted Drip, looking around for an exit. Blade quickly looked around for one as well. Since he couldn't contact Drip, he'd have to go down himself and lead him out... if he _did. _

And then he saw it. It was small, almost engulfed in flames, but there was an opening. If he really hurried, he _could _get both of them out in one piece. And hopefully, without burns.

He looked for a spot to land, and swiftly did so. It was only a few feet away from Drip, but with all the smoke and fire, neither could see each other. They couldn't even find each other's scent through the amount of smoke.

Blade hurried forward to find him, keeping in mind which direction the exit was. He whipped around a burning tree, almost ramming in him, but instead came off his forelegs a bit, turning around but keeping his towards Drip. The younger colt saw him, and followed.

Both sprang forward, Blade keeping his head turned a bit to keep an eye on Drip for a moment, then focused it forward again.

A tree began cracking just as he had eyes on the exit. He slid to a stop, Drip quickly following behind. Blade's mouth dropped open and ears pricked at it as it fell to the ground - blocking their exit.

Blade snorted. Like _hell _he was gonna let them both die. He arched his neck, leaned back and once again lead Drip straight towards the fallen tree. It was a risk, but a risk he was willing to take.

Drip didn't question it, although one glance at the younger colt and he knew that he was terrified. He sighed, knowing full well he had a chance of not making it.

When they got within ten feet of it, he yelled over the roar of the fire. "Jump it, Drip!"

He collected himself, slowing up a bit to keep an eye on Drip, to make sure he made it over. Once he saw Drip take off, he tucked his forelegs as close to his chest as he could, arched his neck, and shoved off his hind legs. He hoped he gave himself enough lift to make it over the burning tree.

As he flew over it, he felt the flames lick at his stomach. He pinned his ears, bending his body and bared his teeth. He landed the same time Drip did, and both ran to his team.

Dynamite spotted them first, and rushed over to them, followed by the rest of her team.

Blade cut the almost reuinion short as he reared once again about halfway, swiveling on his hind legs. "We need to get to the lake, _now_!"

No one hesitated to run forward, Blade taking up the rear. He kept his ears pinned to his head, outstretching his neck and threatening to nip if anyone fell behind.

Dynamite led them through the burning forest, knowing exactly where the lake was and how to get there. It took a few minutes - which felt like an eternity for them, honestly - but when they got there the relief was almost tangible.

They all slowed down, Blade relaxed his posture. He forced them in the water a few feet, until they were up to their necks in water. And with that, Blade let out a sigh and let his head drop a couple inches, drinking deeply.

He lifted his head back up, water dripping from his muzzle. He turned his head back to the fire, now double the size of what it had been. The skies darkening from the smoke.

"Patch, come in."

"_I read ya Blade."_

"We need back up. The fire is far out of our capabilities."

"_I'm calling for back up now._"

"Thank you."

For what must've been the hundredth time that day, he sighed. His home was on fire, more than they could handle on their own, Drip almost got killed (and so did he, but that didn't matter as much as his team did), and they had no way of getting back to base.

But, he did get the jumpers to safety, back up was on the way, and the rest of his team was safe - all of his team were unharmed. It was the best way to end the day, but it definitely wasn't the worst.

Although, he'd probably get a good talking to from Maru when he got back about jumping over a burning tree.

**A/N: There we go. All done with dis. Hope you enjoyed. **

**I kNoW NOT why I wrote this other than I wanted Blade rescuing someone. **


	9. Barrel Horse Beneath

**A/N: Oneshot I came up with cause I was watching a barrel racing video (something I've always wanted to do) and listening to a couple barrel racing songs so I wanted to write this. Also introducing a new character, my newest OC made especially for this - Silver. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. They belong to Disney. **

There was always something different about Blade.

It wasn't a bad different. Just something that set him apart from the others. Something about the way he moved, the way he could jump into a dead run from a dead halt. Something about the way he could turn extremely sharp, extremely fast. Something about the way he placed his feet when he was running, throwing his head around.

She'd wanted to sit on him, ride him, run with him. Try him on a barrel pattern for the _longest _time, because she _knew _he would be great at it. Amazing, even. She could see it in the way he moved, the way he was built.

When she finally got that barrel racing saddle on him, the one specially designed for high speed turns, put the breast color on and slipped the bridle and the bit on his head, she knew she was in for one hell of a ride.

Superintendent Jammer had gotten the outdoor arena at the lodge all set up, with the barrels in the cloverleaf pattern. Others were running, to, not just her. Dynamite, Blackout, Avalanche, Dusty, and even Maru. A few others from the lodge with their riders... It'd just be for fun though, nothing serious.

They were second to run, after a young mare with a young rider, around her late teens. Silver herself was only fourteen. The pair ran a 17.43, the time to beat for now. It was always harder than it seemed.

When she set Blade up in front of the now open gate, the alleyway to the inside of the arena. She felt him tense, his steps became lighter, faster. His neck arched, he mouthed the bit. She began making kissing noises. His ears flicked back, he began hopping on his forelegs. Sitting on his haunches and bouncing with his forelegs as he moved forward a couple inches, throwing his head up and laying his ears back.

When she finally allowed him to go, he was gone. She felt I'm sit back as soon as she released the pressure on his mouth, then propel himself forward with more force than she expected him to.

She didn't have to think to know what she was doing. This stallion beneath her knew exactly what he was doing.

On that first barrel, he didn't seem to go very fast. He sat on his hindquarters, but his shoulder next to it and turned fast, throwing his head to his left. She was rocked back into the saddle, jerked back more like it, as Blade shifted gears.

Silver didn't have time to think as Blade flew around the second barrel. Much easier than the first one, not skipping or sliding, no hesitation. She didn't realize she had begun nudging him forward with her legs till she felt Blade's stride lengthen, leaving that second barrel.

And there he was, bearing down on the third and final barrel. She felt his strides shorten as they closed in on it, his head lifting the slightest bit and hindquarters begin to dip, preparing to make that sharp turn.

She didn't need to direct him with the reins, he already knew he needed to let his hind legs slide a bit, to cut down on the time.

Digging his hooves into the ground, he left that third barrel. His head and neck extended, picking up speed as she allowed him to stretch. She felt like she was flying, his four legs leaving the ground for a millisecond at a time.

As they passed through the open gate, she heard the cheering of the crowd. She began to slow him down, sitting back into the saddle and pulling back on his bit.

They passed the smokejumpers at a trot, Silver only half listening, still trying to get Blade settled down. However she heard Drip mutter, "I didn't know boss could run like that," and a murmured agreement among the rest of them as they watched.

That's when she heard the announcer again calling out their final time. She was amazed.

"14.2 seconds folks!! That's a record!"

No sweat, no foam, no _nothing _on this horse. Nothing to prove that he worked hard, nothing to show that he actually tried.

So they stayed and watched the rest of them. Dynamite was the second best, followed closely by Dusty had he not slipped on that last barrel. The two were still over a second behind their chief, though.

And she knew why he'd gotten the time he had, after a while of watching the others.

He was muscled, extremely. But he wasn't overly so. His stride extended far more than the other did, and he was able to get a kick start... even from an uncomfortable angle. Blade wasn't a long horse, either, helping him bend around the barrels much easier. That, and he was extremely confident. Again, not overly confident, but enough to give him the mind to try new things and kill it while he was doing so.

Undoubtedly, he came in first. Dynamite second, Dusty third and so on.

When asked how he had ran so fast, completed the course so quickly, he simply answered with, "I don't know, honestly. I set my mind to something and make it happen."

**A/N: So kinda short, I know, but it's midnight... Hope you all enjoyed! Till next time**


	10. Much Needed

**A/N: So this came about because I've had two people ask about the horse world, like what type of breeds the characters are, how they do their jobs, and if the characters breed helps/hinders their ability to work. I _love questions _about this, so seriously if you have questions don't be afraid to ask. Whether through pm or reviews. I'll be happy to answer!! Now, I'm doing this in story format and _only _the planes characters, unless otherwise asked.**

**So one of the questions that I'm not going to put into story format was 'How does everyone's specific role and job on the team translate from when they were machines to them being horses?' From Queenlmno. I can take this two ways, I'll probably end up answering both BUT, if it's asking if they were transformed into horses from machines - the answer is no, they weren't. They've always been horses :)**

**And then while writing the story I got asked another question from Queenlmno. Dusty being Blade's son is my own AU, and I haven't explained it in a story yet. I will eventually lol that's coming up but I still need to run it through my head a few times to get the correct details and what the plot of it is. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters - Disney/Pixar does. **

Looking at them, Jammer was surprised at how different the air attack team was from each other.

Most teams, he knew from experience, consisted of rugged, stronger built horses like Hanoverians, Quarter Horses, or even Belgian Warmbloods. But his little team didn't even have two of the same breed, unless they were a mix... let alone many purebreds. He believed Dynamite and Drip were the only purebreds among the team. Most of them were not even known for rough work - most were built for light work, or competition.

Like Dynamite. She was a perfect example. A purebred Arabian, with the personality, confirmation, and pedigree to prove it. Her dished face and high withers made her look like a gentle baby, but once one got to know her (or even set her off) they knew otherwise. Underneath her almost pure white coat, she was just as tough, could get just as mean as the rest of them. Could fight with them to, hence why she was the captain of the smokejumpers.

Now, with Drip, he acted every inch of the Hanoverian he is. He _loved _to jump. Loved it. He likes to play 'how-many-times-I-can-jump-over-flames-without-getting-burned' during a fire. Jammer knows that Maru had to patch more than a couple burns every now and again. Along with that, his muscle and natural mentally that he needed to work, he really could pull his own weight amongst them.

Avalanche was the next closest thing they had to a purebred. Half and half - Hanoverian dam, and Clydesdale sire. No one _really _ever asked how his parents met. Coming from two different classes, he could be considered a warmblood or a cold blood. From his looks, most would consider him a warmblood. Until they saw his strength in action - pulling a log with his own strength was not in the qualifications of a warmblood. Jammer liked the big guy.

Pinecone, the youngest out of every on the base. A Hanoverian, Belgian, and Quarter horse mix. Apparently her mother was a Belgian, and her sire was a Belgian/QH mix. Nobody ever noticed the Belgian though, until she told you. She was strong like Avalanche, but with the temperament of a Quarter Horse. She was often the one to settle any of the rare disputes that happened among the jumpers. Easing each other's nerves during a show down before one actually started.

Blackout looked more Thoroughbred than Hanoverian or Quarter Horse as was in his pedigree. And it _showed. _He loved running, or work in general. It never really differed in the amount of try he gave in either of those. Personality and build screamed _Thoroughbred!_just as loudly as his speed did. He was no doubt one of the fastest out of the jumpers (Dynamite often beating him, but not by much). With an extremely slim body, flat head and only a little bit of a crest unlike his brethren, he could (and would) pull or lift more than one would think he could.

For their equipment, Maru had managed to get basic jump suits. Then, he added a few of his handmade equipment to the pieces. Like a blade for Avalanche to move things with, or a saw for Blackout. All of the teams items were connected to their bodies through various straps and buckles. The most noticeable being the straps that went under and around their girth, middle of the stomach and between their front legs. The one between their front legs connected to their breast plate. Then, one strap went around their hind legs, and another around their hindquarters keep the suit in place. In Avalanche's case, the blade was in front of him. That piece connected to a specially made breast plate through a very lightweight piece of metal. Avalanche could easily push it around.

They operated their _'_tools' through head positions. For Avalanche, the 'lever' for moving the blade down or up was connected to a thin (but strong) piece of leather. It tied around the lever, and connected to his bitless bridle (guess who made those? Maru). To lower it, Avalanche dropped his head, easing the pressure off the leaver and letting it drop to the ground, at the same time allowed Avalanche to use his shoulders a bit more to push it. To raise it up, all he had to do was raise is head to normal level, causing the string of leather to tighten and raise the lever back up.

The rest of the team either used a button to activate their item (Like Blackout with his saw that is extended from his suit as to not cut his body) or somewhat of the same system as Avalanche's (Pinecone grapple or Drip's claw).

Dynamite usually kept watch over her team, giving orders. So Maru didn't add much to her suit other than the straps and parachute that all of them had.

Moving to the air attack now. Maru had built their suits himself, and the tech was quite impressive.

As with the jumpers suits, the air attack teams were connected through various pieces of straps and buckles. That's all they had in common though.

They had two different 'suits', except one was on their back, and one on their stomach. The one on the stomach was the one that dropped the retardant or water, the one on their back... had the main equipment. Metal wings that were flexible, controlled by head motions. They extended when whoever wore them jumped (mind you - off the cliff).

They'd probably each had a couple close calls.

And Jammer _still_ couldn't get over how many mixes there were on the team!

Cabbie was the only half purebred - A Percheron with a hint of Quarter Horse and Lippizan somewhere in there. Windlifter, an American Paint sire and a Quarter Horse dam. Dipper, a Quarter Horse, Hanoverian And Thoroughbred mix.

Here's where Jammer often got extremely confused, he was often lost where each breed came together. Dusty, part Friedan, Morgan, Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred And Hanoverian. While the Chief, had all of those in him except Morgan, since he was Dusty's sire.

Now _that _had been an eventful day, finding out Dusty was Blade's son. But that's a story for another day.

Maru and Patch were both Fjords, with a hint of other ponies or small horses. Patch didn't have a suit, mostly because she didn't need one. While Maru had a fairly complicated suit so he could work on *random* things.

His suit worked like so - It was strapped on simply enough, and two metal 'arms' that worked much the same as the air attack horses wings do. Only they were controlled by a button, and moved through head or leg movements, followed by - sometimes - cussing.

And Jammer was extremely impressed by the fact that, even with how diverse they were, nothing ever stopped them from working, flowing, and acting like a family.

**A/N: I wrote this directly after Queenlmno's questions, and I kept getting emails saying they kept reviewing OMG Put a smile on my face while writing and helped me finish this within like an hour. Lol I loved that. And I'm also very sorry that some of it sounds unreal, but then again, it's a world where horses can talk, and run a democracy. I think mechanics like some of this fits perfectly XD Plus, it leaves room for imagination, and tons of it!! **

**Queenlmno - Yeah I know right? Blade just does not give a crap when it comes to himself if he can save his team. Which is both good and bad... Maru has definitely had field days with Blade-injuries. XD And Yeahhhh everyone's a horse. Sometimes I throw random people characters in there**


	11. Broken

**A/N: I... literally have no explantaiton for this. Creativity people. But before anyone says anything - don't question this, I _did _join the Planes and Cars characters. **

**_The good ones have pasts_**

**Disclaimer: Disney/Pixar owns all recognizable characters. **

"You don't know what he's been through," Maru had suddenly spoken from next to him, making him jump. "I do. But nobody else does. They judge him for what they see, but they never try to look into his past. Same with just about everyone here, all around us. I bet your kids have some history."

Ethan nods, crossing his arms and watching his friends, and Maru's friends, interact. Finn was currently standing in front of a very muscled stallion, who Maru had introduced him as Blade. He was the chief, and Finn was flicking his ears back and forth as if he was trying to figure out if he should challenge him or not. Both stallions necks were arched, noses to each other's, so Ethan could only guess they were figuring out dominance.

Ethan drew in a breath. "Yeah. I get that. Finn's got some serious issues and bad PTSD from some missions, but has a simple backstory. Holley on the other hand, has really bad anxiety, horrid PTSD, and is extremely skittish. She was abused when she was little, was trained from the start to be an assasin for some organization, but she was to sweet or something. They tried hurting her into doing it, but she wouldn't. That's when we found her, took her in and retrained her to be a spy. She's a pretty good fighter, but only when Finn is by her."

Slowly nodding, Maru glanced over at Cabbie. Standing with his hind leg titled, rest his head but obviously alert. Making sure nothing happened to anyone. That military training still hard wired into his systems.

"Cabbie was pressured to go into the military by his parents. Fought, nearly got killed, transferred here. Scars on his belly show it all. Dynamite had a rough life with an abusive father. Blackout had to fight his way through his life, with various bullies and even an abusive mother. Drip had parents that liked to get drunk. Pinecone has an abuisve ex boyfriend, and Avalanche was beat up as a young colt. Till he got bigger than all of em," Maru cut off to chuckle, shaking his head fondly.

Ethan looked over at him. He wasn't looking at him, but at his team.

"Dipper doesn't have much of a past, same with 'Lifter and Patch. Dusty, I know, has an abusive stepfather somewhere and his mother died, I believe. And Blade watched his friend die, watched many others die, and I know he had a couple of abusive friends and an abusive... father, I think. Me? I don't have much to tell. Other than I was a city kid and living life on the streets."

Ethan hummed, staring back at the team as well as his own friends. He glanced to his left as he heard a happy squeal, only to see Holley giving chase to Dynamite, Pinecone and Dusty.

"Sounds like they all came together because of similar pasts. They help each other through whatever problems they have."

Another soft chuckle from Maru. "I can't tell you how many times. They save one another from hell, whether it be when their awake or asleep. Blade has literally jumped through fire before to save 'em."

Ethan's eyebrows raised a bit at that. A few moments of silence passed as the two stood by each other, watching everything around them. At one point, Finn _had _actually struck out at Blade, only for both to throw their heads up and walk in separate directions.

Ten minutes passed before Maru broke the silence yet again. "So, what about your team? What's with them?"

Ethan sighed, putting a hand to the back of his neck, "From what I know, only a few of them have bad pasts. I know Lightning and Jackson both had abusive parents, or at least one. Jackson had a mentally abusive trainer. Cruz had a mother and father that mentally put her down as well. Doc watched his racing career fade into a dream after he had his wreck. And Sarge went into the military, Sheriff has had a few bad fights. Other than that I don't theirs much to any of them. Pretty normal."

"... what about you? If you don't mind me askin'."

Ethan shook his head. "When I was a kid I used to get bullied by the older kids, then came home to a drunk dad. Most of the time. When I was old enough I got into CHROME, trained and got a partner. His name was Harley, and he was a big gelding. He had his faults, like the rest of em did. I worked with him for nearly nine years before he was unfortunately shot and killed on a mission. He hesitated with something, and the enemy took the chance to get him. Not too long after that, I got my second partner. A smaller gelding, Prix. He was stocky, but short. He really couldn't get over a fence much higher than five and a half feet, which often lead to some trouble, and that was his demise. I only worked with him for a bit before he got shot."

Maru frowned, looking over at him, "'M sorry."

Ethan waved his hand, "Finn works for me. I've never met a more willing horse. Or fearless, for that matter. He ain't scared of _anything. _That horse has literally run into fire, gunfire, and jumped off buildings into water before," a soft chuckle from both males. "Scared the hell outta me to a couple times. He's disappeared and then reappeared to save my butt quite a few times now."

"Sounds like a nice partner to have in the field."

"He definitely is." Both whipped around when they heard some squealing, then pounding hoofbeats. Lightning was leading a small group of both PPAA and RS horses on a chase to catch whoever, and some of them were bucking.

They both laughed, glancing at each other before looking back in front of them.

"It's nice to know they get along."

"Yeah. I'm glad Finn's enjoying himself. Usually he doesn't relax around new horses."

"Don't blame em."

"Who knows, maybe he senses the connection. A connection where they've all been broken, beaten, only to ride up from the ashes and be a new person. Maybe they all sense that, and that's why they get along so well. I rarely see Blade get into a fight with these guys, and I know what temper he has."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Ethan slowly shook his head, "Their amazing like that. They just... they _know_. And that's the glory of it."

**A/N: yeah, it's midnight here. I feel really bad for not posting anything on my other in-progress story. But I really haven't had any inspiration for writing it. I also hope this makes sense... because it's midnight here... and my brain isn't cooperating.**


	12. Exhaustion

**A/N: So... I really don't have an explanation for this other than I was watching a movie and then this happened. Enjoy!**

**_Nobody saw it coming... except Finn. _**

**Disclaimer: Disney/Pixar owns all recognizable characters. **

The only one who ever saw the exhaustion slowly creeping up on him, was Finn himself. He felt his young body slowly falling apart with each mission he and Ethan were sent on. Each time he gave his all, and Ethan couldn't tell that he hurt with every movement. That he was slowly falling apart and wearing down because he never got a break.

It wasn't Ethan's fault, no. It was Jake's. He was the one that sent them on those missions. It was Jake's fault for not paying attention to Finn's health, and how much the seven year old could physically take. He didn't pay attention to Finn's health, only the missions he 'couldn't let younger and inexperienced spies' go on.

When he got back from one mission, he was immediately sent on the next. He tried to act energetic like he normally was, for Ethan's sake. He was somewhat sure Ethan was doing the same for him, but Finn didn't see or _feel _Ethan's energy dwindling. Only his.

He knew it was only a matter of time before something happened.

It was after a mission that was almost all running. Finn carried Ethan through the gunfire, lead Holley and Rod into it. Into all out hellfire. As soon as the gunshots had sounded, flying from all directions he'd lead them straight towards it.

Running away, running back, all while attempting to dodge the bullets and fight whoever got close. Finn could feel himself begin to tire out within the first hour, but he continued to fight.

No one seemed to notice as he worked up a sweat, his muscles ached. He kept fighting, because that's how he was taught. That's how he ran. That's _what he did for a living. Fight until he dropped. _

And that's _exactly _what happened.

The battle had gone for hours. Finally, Ethan had put an end to the nonsense and had blown up the enemies rally point. It had killed almost all of them in the process, leaving the survivors severely injured.

With the immediate threat gone, Finn felt the exhaustion slowly creeping through him. The adrenaline from the explosion quickly vanished and he was left feeling extremely weak. His muscles felt like they were on fire, he couldn't breathe right. His nostrils flared but his breaths were ragged and uneven.

That's when Ethan finally realized something was wrong.

"Finn? Are yo-"

He was cut off by Finn's loud groan. His forelegs buckled and he fell to the ground with a soft thud. His eyes were closed before he even hit the ground entirely.

Holley was by his side in an instant, looking to Ethan for help while nudging Finn's neck. Ethan however, didn't know how to help. He had no bullet wounds, no major cuts and not enough blood loss to cause this.

It was from exhaustion. He could tell.

So alone they stood in the battlefield. Ethan's anger slowly building up. At himself for not noticing his partner slowly breaking down from exhaustion and at Jake for sending them on missions nonstop.

He would have a word with Jake as soon as they got back.

xxxxxxxxxx

He left Finn, Holley and Samantha in the jet while Rod, Blake and himself walked towards the office. He didn't even knock on the door, he just shoved it open.

Ethan met Jake's shocked expression. He was about to say something when he was met with Jake's careless, "We need you and Finn on another mission. Be ready by tomorrow morning please."

Ethan felt more anger flare up inside him, and with a deathly quiet voice he managed, "no."

"Wh-what did you just say to me?"

"I said no. I do not accept this mission."

"You don't have the right to!"

"Actually, with your best agent unable to stand I think I do!"

"Finn isn't able to stand?" There was no worry in his voice, only doubt.

"Yes! He collapsed at the end of our last mission from exhaustion. He's been worked far to hard."

"... so what are you saying Ethan."

"I'm saying," Ethan's voice quickly changed from a snarl into a quieter, angrier-sounding tone. "Finn, Holley, Samantha and I will not be accepting anymore missions unless it's run through by us. We will not be seen by anyone... we aren't coming into this building anymore."

"So you're going into hiding? But still taking on missions? And only the ones you want to?"

With a nod of his head, Ethan replied simply, "Yes."

**A/N: Forgive me for that non fluent time skip. I don't know how I would've skipped it otherwise. And just to clarify, they didn't quit. Ethan is just taking them all to a place more secluded. They are only to be contacted in life threatening emergencies. Only Rod and Blake know where they went.**


	13. Back to You (part 1)

**A/N: I'm just flying with this depressing Oneshots aren't I?**

**_Finn finally see's his mother again, after nine long years._**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. Disney/Pixar does. **

Finn, carrying a sleeping Ethan and Holley - with a sleeping Samantha - made their way down the old country road. Trees covered their right, while an open field spread out on their left. It left Finn at ease, knowing he had either a flat space to run away or a very tricky forested area to hide in.

Holley was almost asleep, he could tell by the way she kept putting her head on the top of his rump. He didn't mind. It let him know she was still there. Let him know that one of the only things that mattered to him was still with him.

The only thing that was starting to concern him was it was getting dark, and their hotel was still a ways away. By just walking, they wouldn't make it until the next morning. But he also wouldn't risk cantering or running on the account of waking Ethan and Sam. He knew when Holley - or himself - were tired they tended to have a choppy canter.

He also, for some reason, had a nagging feeling that he knew exactly where they were. But he couldn't think of why.

He glanced back at Holley again when he felt her head on his back. She was very much almost asleep, her strides short and slow. Her eyes closed. He frowned. He needed to find a place for them to sleep, and it wouldn't be the hotel.

When he passed a road sign, he stopped dead in his tracks. Holley bumped into him, letting out a quiet snort and picking her head up off Finn's back.

"Finn?" She saw him staring at the road sign, and glanced up at it, "What's wrong?"

"I know exactly where we are," his voice was soft, quiet, almost unbelieving.

"Where?"

"Home," Finn still didn't sound like he was actually believing it, as memories flooded back to him, "I'm home."

Holley tilted her head a bit, but Finn suddenly took off at a trot. It jostled Ethan awake, "Finn? What're you doing?"

"Finding home."

His ears were pricked and his head high. He hadn't meant to wake Ethan, but he could use that to his advantage now. "Holley! Wake Samantha, I know where we can rest."

Holley muttered an 'I'm Sorry' before she crow hopped, successfully waking Sam while eliciting a small yelp. "Holley? Why?" Was all she said after seeing there was no immidiate danger.

Holley didn't answer, instead cantering after Finn. When she got close enough, he told her, "I know where we are and I know how to get home."

"Lead the way."

With that, Finn took off at a dead run. He jumped the ditch and went into the field. It felt amazing to be home, in the same field he ran in when he was little. He just couldn't understand why he didn't see it before.

Holley was right after him, pricking her ears. She could feel Finn's excitement, and that was making her excited. She almost wanted to race him, but let him lead the way to his home. It didn't take long before Finn caught sight of the house. _His house, when he was growing up. _

He sped up, pricking his ears. He jumped the broken fence, and landed smoothly on the other side. He didn't stop until he was almost right in front of the house. He slowed down, and whinnied.

It took a moment, but they heard steps a small, curious voice call, "Finn?"

Finn's head dropped a few inches, and he nickered. The door opened, revealing a beautiful sky blue Akhal-Teke mare. Her tail was a deep shade of blue, but not exactly navy.

"Finn," her eyes softened, and Finn tossed his head a bit. Ethan jumped off, letting Finn rush up to his mother.

They threw their heads around each other's necks. Finn drew in his mother's scent, closing his eyes and taking in the moment. After nine long years, it felt so good to be home. After a moment, his mother pulled back and looked him over.

"Look at you," her voice was on the edge of breaking, "You've gotten _so _big."

Finn just stared at her, taking in everything. He was _home_, with his mother.

"Look at how much muscle you've gotten. So big, just like your father," she gave him a weak smile and met his eyes. She stared into them until Finn had to shift a bit, moving his gaze away from the intensity for a moment. She gave him a small frown, her eyes softening yet again. "Life has not been good to you, has it?"

He forgot she could read him like a book, but at those words he broke. His gaze and head dropped a bit, his head tilted as a tear slipped down his cheek.

She looked over him once more, with the same intense gaze she had a moment ago. She looked at all his scars, the ones she hadn't noticed before. The ones he definitely hadn't had last time he was here, ones he didn't have when he left.

She had noticed the scar over his right eye when she first saw him, but now was just seeing the ones across his chest, the bright scar on his hip. The few smaller scars along his barrel and flank. The older, faded scars along his neck and the newer ones along his face and back. And, she couldn't miss the piece of his ear missing.

"Come inside," was all she said after studying him for a solid minute. She moved aside to let the four of them in.

Finn looked around the house. Nothing had changed. He had to smile a little at that, the happier memories of his mother and father, of the three of them playing together.

"You can sleeo wherever, it's getting late and I'm sure your tired."

Holley got about midway into the house before all but collapsing. Sam had to jump off or risk being laid on. She frowned down at Holley, but kneeled to take off her tack.

Finn stood patiently as Ethan took everything off. Finally easing the bit out of his mouth, Finn made his way over to Holley and laid down next to her. Ethan and Samantha put their tack in the corner of the room and headed to one of the bedrooms Finn's mother had pointed out to them. After, she laid down on Finn's other side.

"So, who's this?"

Finn smiled softly at Holley, who was sound asleep at his side and leaning against him.

"Holley. Holley Shiftwell. My partner for five years and mate for two," Finn glanced back at her and she made a soft sound followed by, "How old is she?"

"Eleven. Two years younger than me."

"When did she become a spy?"

"Two years."

He saw her eyebrows raise a bit, "Little young isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm guessing you remember that old course you and your father made? I'm also guessing you've gotten stronger. Tomorrow can you show me what you can do?"

"Of course," he leaned back a bit to touch his muzzle to his mothers.

"Goodnight my dear."

"Goodnight mother."


	14. Body Language is Key

**A/N: So, it's been a hot minute hasn't it? Anyway I've written this because in the upcoming chapters of this and a couple other stories the use of body language will increase, and verbal communication will decrese between characters. This is the guide to how horses act and how they understand each other: Body language, sound, and smell. Enjoy and hope this helps!**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters, Disney/Pixar does. **

Horses are complicated creatures for those that don't know how to listen. To watch. However if you do know how to watch and listen, they are quite simple to understand.

Starting with body language, this is the most difficult to decipher. However as said, if you watch it isn't all that difficult. Horses understand each other with just a twitch of a muscle, or shifting. Pinned ears, head jerking and stomping are also vital movements to understand. Firstly, we will be looking at horses ears.

Ears are mostly used to reference moods. Pinned ears usually mean a horse is upset, anxious, or angry. Blade uses this in spectacular fashion, and it usually means '_back off_'. Flicking ears, from a pinned to forward position usually signals curiosity, interest, or unsureness. It depends on the context of the situation, but majority of the time it's to express curiosity. This is usually accompanied by tensed muscles and a lowered head, but we'll get to that in a bit. Forward ears signal complete interest and focus, while also being alert and attentive. But, if a horse is cautious (yet interested) his or her ears will sill be placed forward, only with body shifted away from the cause of the interest. Ears to the side, normally accompanied by a cocked hoof or eyes closed, means the horse is relaxed and trusts everyone around them to protect them or let them know when danger arrives. Ears to the side can also show the horse is bored or sick, keep in mind the head position. Lastly, with ears, if a horse has its ears slightly pointed back, with head raised, it means they are scared and very wary. Be careful - in Dynamite's case, unsureness can lead to striking.

Now onto nostrils. This is a relatively short subject, as they're are only two possibilities. If nostrils are flared, the horse is breathing harder - enabling him or her to take in more oxygen as well as scent his or her surroundings. Watch out, though. Nostrils flaring when no exercise has been given or when they aren't scenting the wind can mean they are sick or colicing. When nostrils are not flared, they are breathing normally. They can still smell a lot, as their sense of smell is more enhanced than humans.

As with smell, horses can see a lot better than humans. They can see almsot fully around them - except for directly in front or directly behind. While some horses are fine being approached from these 'blind spots' some are not. Dusty, Drip, Pinecone, Cabbie, and Patch can safely be approached from behind or directly in front and most of the time will often not have a problem with it. The rest of the team on the other hand, if they can't hear or feel you, will jump, kick out, or whirl and strike. This can get dangerous very fast, so for your own safety don't approached a horse from behind without at least making sure they know your there. As for what their eyes can tell, if the whites of the eyes are showing, the horse is afraid and untrusting. Usually accompanied by head tossing, back away from the horse or try calming them if you know the horse well. Again, this situation can become dangerous, so avoid the risk by backing away.

The body is an extremely important factor. This is a long one, so stay with me!

The body is the _key _to understanding a horse. All other aspects are important, but the main body is what really tells the whole story. First off, we have a relaxed body. A cocked hind leg, shifted weight, and head lowered to chest level with eyes closed means the horse is relaxed and trusts others around him or her. Blade is rarely seen doing this, but when he does get caught with this type of body language it's usually when he is surrounded by his team. A rigid body - muscles tensed and head often raised - signals the horse is uneasy and might turn to flee or seek a friend for protection. When a horse is scared of something, they're body will likely be completely tense, and the nose may be raised higher than the horses poll - the spot between the ears, this is always accompanied with pinned or flicking ears. Dusty is quite prone to this next one because of how he was raised - when a horse has all four legs apart and square, with the body balanced backwards, head low or high, he is preparing to both flee and fight. This is not a good sign, as the horse is both confident and unconfident, and when this happens the situation can become dangerous quite quickly. When unsure, horses don't usually hesitate to strike. Before a horse rears, strikes, or bucks, they're muscles get tense and they may pin their ears. It depends on the horse and situation with how many seconds are before the strikes or rears, and a perfect example of this is: Blade and Cabbie hardly give anyone a moment to think before they're either rearing or bucking. However, with Pinecone and Patch, they usually tense up a good five seconds before they do anything, giving everyone a good amount of time to react and prepare. Tensing can also mean they are about to charge, and while an arched neck is usually just to show off in play fights - or to mares in a stallions case - an arched neck and tensed muscles is a signal that the horse is going to charge. _Move out of the way as quick as possible, _you do not want a horse to bowl you over.Also, when horses begin to prance (with ears pricked) it usually means they are excited and ready to do whatever they are about to do. If they prance with ears back, they're ready to fight or really want to flee. Prancing usually happens when they are being held back from what they want to do. It may be mentally if they are undecided as to what they want to do, or when they're tied or reined in. Sometimes accompanied with prancing comes pawing, and it's usually a sign of distress or anxiousness. Dusty, again, is prone to this. Especially when Blade, Skipper or Cabbie are not in his line of sight.

Finally, we have the sounds they make. This is another long one. First, we have a snort. Depending on the length of the snort, it could mean either they're uneasy or content. A long snort, which is just a hard blow through the nostrils means contentment and relaxation. A short snort, usually with a head toss or a raised head, means they are uneasy or sense something new. If it isn't aimed at you, stay out of the way just in case they decided to charge. A sound similar to a snort is between a couch and snort, it's higher pitched and it's air expelled very fast and hard through the nostrils. They usually make this sound when they sense or see something new and are trying to figure out what it is, mostly curiosity drives this noise. Then, we have a whinny. This is a greeting, and is higher in pitch and can be short or long. Jammer has a longer whinny, while Maru has a short one. It depends on circumstance and horse. A neigh - very similar to a whinny and humans often get these sounds confused - is also used for a greeting, but can also mean a challenge between two stallions or two mares. A neigh is lower in pitch but louder, and is held longer than a whinny. Finally, a nicker is a soft, low sound. It's a reassuring sound, used when everyone is nervous or when someone else is nervous and another horse is trying to comfort him or her. Another sound is a scream - a very high pitched sound. It has sent Blade running to the source because it's only used when situations are extremely bad, or the horse is in an extreme amount of pain or surprise.

Along with most animals, horses have specific sounds depending on age and gender. The previous sounds are the sounds that all horses can make no matter age or gender (however foals often don't neigh, theirs voices not being low enough for it yet). A mare has a special sound to call or reassure her foal. It's very similar to a nicker, and some people call it a whicker (though a whicker and nicker are technically the same thing). Only mares can produce this sound, and foals are drawn to it along with yearlings and sometimes two year olds. Foals and their mothers share a special bond and they know the others voice and scent by heart (they can pick thir own mother/foal out from a crowd of identical horses). The sounds only a stallion can make are often nerve-wracking and sends a chill to your bones. Stallions roar - a very loud sound that echoes. It isn't proven that mares can't roar, they just don't. Every stallion save Dusty has made the noise at least once. Blade does it more often than not, and each time it sends the smokejumpers scattering with Dusty and Dipper running to either Cabbie, Windlifter or Maru (whoever's closer). The sound it very threatening, and the sound can be carried for a quarter mile or a bit more depending on the force of the sound. Often heard when a stallion spots another stallion that could threaten his position as a leader (Blade, again, prone to this for this exact reason) or his team/herd. Cabbie has made this sound exactly five times, and each time it was because Blade wasn't around to protect the others.

And lastly for this lesson, we have teeth. Teeth clacking together is usually used by foals but can also be seen in younger horses around older horses. It is a sign of submission, a '_don't hurt me, I'm little' _type thing. The smokejumpers do this to Dynamite every once in a while, along with doing it to Cabbie. Dusty (along with everyone else besides Maru, Cabbie or Windlifter just because they don't need to, though they still do it every once in a while) does this to Blade often. Usually, the older horse is calm while the horse doing the motion has his or her muzzle directly under the others muzzle.

Please read that each horse is different and will not have the same reaction to each thing. Horses can get scared of the simplest things because they're prey animals and are naturally cautious.*

Put all these things together with each other and you will know exactly what the horse is feeling. I hope this helped with understanding horse body language!

**A/N: Well that wraps that up!! I had fun writing this, Hope y'all enjoyed this! Maybe next time I can do anatomy, if anyone is interested in that? Or injuries/illnesses that horses can get?**


	15. Christmas Special

**A/N: So this is the Christmas special! It's a bit angsty but kinda fluffy! Hope ya'll like it!**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters, they belong to Disney/Pixar. **

Fact: Blade Ranger doesn't like Christmas.

Maru knew why: He was never with anyone during the holidays. His parents weren't ever with him, and when they were it was when they were at a party. It was always an adult party, with no other foals to play with or people or horses he recognized. He'd be pushed around and shoved, yelled at for getting in the way. Scared, he would run and find a hiding spot. He'd stay there until it was time for him to leave.

Those years when he was alone, he'd walk around and watch other families together. They seemed happy, and he had wanted that. He had wanted that _so much. _Until it was his first year at 'firefighter training' school. After that, he didn't have much interest in the holidays. He'd often spend them in his room, studying or something of the sorts, because that's all he knew how to do.

When he'd gone to Piston Peak, they'd learned quickly to leave him along during the holidays. The previous chief had tried to involve him, but he'd always get pushed away by the younger stallion and shut out. After the third year, he had given up trying and left the colt away.

The year he was given the title of chief, nothing changed. Except the fact Maru was now trying to get him to enjoy Christmas instead of the previous chief. Still he refused, locking himself in his hangar for the entirety of the day.

Cabbie and Maru had shared worried looks, but spoke nothing of it. The smokejumpers had tried once to involve him with their activities and had been told off. After that they had not tried. They left him alone.

Blade, unbeknownst to anyone else, would watch them through his hangar window. Ears forward, eyes alert and focused, he'd watch until they left for their own hangars.

He'd only come out the next day, and would lock himself up again through the 31 and the first. Maru would leave hay, grain and water outside his hangar so he didn't get hungry. Blade knew he did it, just didn't acknowledge it.

The year Dusty came to base changed a lot of things.

After finding the two were related, Blade and Dusty had grown a particularly strong bond. They were able to read each other like a book. Blade learned Dusty's routine as fast as Dusty had learned Blade's. However Dusty had not known about Blade's holiday habits until it was actually Christmas.

"Where's Blade?"

Everyone was out and about, Christmas morning breakfast and all that. And as soon as Dusty had spoken everyone had stopped. Maru had stopped pouring the regular vitamins into the special Christmas breakfast Cabbie had prepared, Dynamite and Blackout had stopped setting up the campfire wood for later, Windlifter and Dipper stopped pushing presents under the tree and Dusty was fairly sure the other jumpers and Patch had stopped breathing for a second.

"What?"

After a moment Maru spoke, "Blade... doesn't do Christmas. Or New Years."

Everyone slowly resumed their work, not minding the conversation between the colt and stallion. "What do you mean?"

Maru looked up to see Dusty doing his famous head tilt. "Blade just doesn't enjoy Christmas. He spends the entire day up in his hangar."

"Why?"

"He didn't have good Christmas's as a kid."

"Oh," Dusty's head turned back to look at Blade's hangar, ears flicking once, "He won't come down?"

"Nope. Tried every year since he's been here. Won't come out."

"Oh." And if the kid didn't sound so heartbroken, he probably wouldn't have looked up. Dusty looked a bit sad, with his ears to the side and head low. However he peeked back up after a moment, putting on a smile. Maru saw through it though, and frowned.

"I'm sorry, Dusty."

"It's fine. Skipper didn't do Christmas's either."

"I thought you said he did things with you guys?"

"Only because we wanted to do it. Dottie, Chug and I talked him into doing it," a soft shrug and a shake.

Maru hummed and shared a look with Windlifter from across the room. He knew what he wanted to do.

After he finished with the vitamins he whispered to Cabbie, "Be right back. Don't start without me."

A hum, and he was off. Maru trotted up the ramp leading to his Chief and friends hangar, and softly pawed at the door. "Blade."

"Go away, Maru."

"No."

With no response after a moment he continued, "Blade, your kid wants to know why you aren't with us."

"Tell him then."

"Blade, he won't understand completely."

"Make him understand."

"It doesn't work like that and you know it," Maru's ears pinned for a moment, before pricking again. "Blade, he wants you. He's never had a father during Christmas. A father figure maybe, but never his actual father."

Silence. Maru stood waiting for a few minutes before sighing, "If you want to be with your son, you know where we are."

Maru went back to the group, smiling and joining in the excited chatter of the bases residents. From the safety of his own hangar, Blade watched Maru go back to his team. He had a decision to make, it shouldn't have been a hard one.

He didn't want to be like his own father. He really didn't. Then what had he been doing hiding this entire time? He had been doing exactly what his father had been doing - leaving his family to themselves on a holiday meant for spending time with your family. And it was Dusty's first Christmas at the base.

He knew his answer.

All residents were more than a little confused when they heard Blade's hangar door sliding open and saw the red stallion making his way down to the group. With unusually cautious steps, Blade joined the group inside the main hangar and took a spot between Maru and Dusty. The conversations stopped for a moment before Blade moved to rest his head heavily on Dusty's back. Maru could see the wide smile spread across Dusty's face, and he happily continued where the conversation left off. Going over the facts of his latest win.

Throughout the rest of the day, Blade was with the team. They decorated the tree, played a huge game of tag, and opened their gifts. Blade looked like he was enjoying himself the entire time, even if he was just watching everyone. This was where he liked to be, and he kind of wished he hadn't hid in his hangar for all those years.

At the end of the day, when they were all gathered around the campfire, they told stories. Cabbie of Christmas's during the war, Dusty with his past five Christmas's with Skipper and his other friends, and Drip of his hectic holidays with his rather large family. The entire time, Blade just kept his head over Dusty's back, surrounded by his team turned family. With a smile, he watched the fire dancing, casting shadows.

After a while of comfortable silence, with the smokejumpers falling asleep curled against Cabbie, Dipper fell asleep close on Dusty's other side. Windlifter, Blade was fairly sure wasn't asleep and by the way Dusty's weight shifted into him, Dusty was asleep. Maru's soft voice suddenly floated to him, letting him know he wasn't yet asleep.

"So," a muffled yawn, "Better than staying in your hangar all day?"

Blade softly chuckled, looking around once more at his team before resting his head on Dusty's shoulder, closing his eyes. "Yeah, I guess it was."

Fact: Blade Ranger didn't like Christmas, but he's learning to like it.

**A/N: So this is a bit longer than I actually thought it was gonna be, and I was almost not gonna finish this in time. Glad I did! Hope ya'll enjoyed 3**


	16. Body Language is Key (Continued)

**A/N: This is just a little shorter version of the previous chapter. After I actually got some sleep I realized I had forgotten a few things, so along with those I'll be adding a few additional things such as what colic is and the gestation period/after birth for mares and foals! Enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters, Disney/Pixar owns them. **

As said before, horses are easy creatures to understand if you know what your looking for. This is the second part to the previous chapter, and we are continuing to explore the signals horses give and what they mean!

As previously mentioned, horses give us a lot of body language cues to help us figure out what they mean. For a start, we will look at different 'explosive' things they do and what they mean.

First, there is bucking. This is when the horse comes off his forelegs and proceeds to throw his hind legs up. The horse can put so much force into this move that he could go vertical (though this is a rare occurence). There are also variations of bucks. The slightest being a slight hop of the hindquarters, some people call this a 'crow hop'. This hardly ever completely off-seats riders, but I can for the less experienced. The next is when the horse comes off his front and arch's his back, kicking only lightly with his hind legs. This can through off some riders, but experienced or intermediate riders can most times recover. Finally, there is the harsh buck. They come completely off their forelegs and push off their hind legs, arching their backs and kicking out strongly with their hind legs. Experienced riders can ride these bucks out, but sometimes, especially when unexpected, riders are thrown. Bucking is caused mostly by fear and to much pressure - as horses learn from the release of pressure, when they buck and the rider falls there is no more pressure. So they learn it is good to buck - but can also be caused by pain, lack of manners, or excitement. The smokejumpers are all prone to excited bucks.

Rearing is a dangerous thing. Rearing is when horses come just off their forelegs. They can just barely bounce of their forelegs or go straight up - which can be extremely scary. They rear when they fight or when they dislike something. Riders can sit this is they have experience, beginners and some intermediate riders may fall. Do _not _use the bit as leverage when they do this, as it can scare them even more and they can fall backwards, landing on and crushing you in the process. Use the horn (if it's western), their neck to hold onto, or try standing in the saddle to help balance you and your horse.

Biting and nipping is a form of communication mostly through horses, but can defintiley be a form of communication horses to people. When they nip, it is barely using the teeth. It's more a pinch, but still hurts. This is likely a warning, accompanied sometimes by pinned ears. Do not let them get away with nipping you, it could lead to biting. Biting, on the other hand, hurts a lot more. Horses have the bit force to bite clean through fingers. If they try biting, yell and through something at them, but try not to hit their faces or the horse at all. They may become head shy. Biting is how horses say 'Hey! Watch it!' Or 'You pushed too far! I'm going to bite!'. Again do not let the horse get away with biting.

Striking is with the foreleg, mainly one but could be both forelegs, and this is when the horse literally strikes. It's meaning is to back off or a warning of what may happen if you don't. Striking could also be the beginning of a fight among horses. Mostly, if they do it to humans, it's from fear or too much pressure on the ground. Or just bad manners. Again make sure they know it's not ok when they do it to humans.

Kicking is similar to striking in that they pretty much only do it with one leg. They can go out pretty far, and that's why everybody says stay at least eight feet behind a horse. So if they kick, they miss you. Kicking can also cause serious wounds to other horses, but it is a warning. Among stallions, mares, or both, care for the wound and separate the horses if possible. If they're feral or not within captivity, please let them be. The Air Attack team is considered wild, even though humans do live among them, so if fighting breaks out let them figure it out.

Now that you know common body language, it's time to move onto the one illness that is very likely to kill your horses: colic.

Colic is an intestinal problem. Horses cannot through up not can they burp, so if they eat anything bad (moldy hay, for example, is a common cause) or too much of something, all that stays in the stomach. This causes the bad food to slowly eat away at the interior of the stomach. It is fixable, but costs a lot if surgery is required. Sometimes all you have to do is walk the horse and give them plenty of water, but most times it could require surgery. Sometimes, the horse even dies. Blade has had a bad bout of colic, and Maru almost lost him twice during the process, but obviously the chief survived. Signs of colic include constant rolling, sweating, not eating and trying to nip at the stomach, stretching and pawing.

And finally to wrap this chapter up, gestation period and the time-after birth! The gestation period is around 11 months, and mares birth their foals in spring. Mares will often leave to find a quiet, secluded spot away from other mares and stallions to have their baby. This is very important, for the mare to have quality time with their baby so both baby and mother can get to know each other. During this time the baby - or foal - must also gain strength.

Within half an hour after birth, the foal must learn to stand and walk. Within an hour to two hours, the foal must learn to run. This is key to avoiding predators. If they can't run away, they'll die. Even though the mare will definitely try to protect her foal, first time moms might not as they can be skittish and a bit unsure. Patch has fostered a foal, and according to the team, was quite good at it.

Foals gain confidence and muscle throughout their time with their mother. Mare and foal will usually stay by themselves for one to three days, some have even stayed away for a week depending on how strong the foal is. Experienced mares may stay away longer depending on how much time they think their foal needs, while inexperienced mares will likely want to get back to their family herd.

Once the mare deems it fit to bring her foal back to their family, they leave. Most times they are fairly close to them, so they can call for help if needed and the foal doesn't have to travel far. Once they reach the rest of their family they are surrounded and the mare usually does one of two things - pin her ears and strike or kick, _or _let the horses surround them. Newer mothers tend to lean towards the former while more experienced mares usually let the others surround them.

The sire will usually nudge the foal multiple times to see if he or she is strong. If not the herd will usually help take care of it and give it extra attention, but every once in a while the stallion will try to injure (or kill it). This is an extremely, _extremely, _rare case. Although everyone on base says Cad would likely do it, everyone knows he probably wouldn't. Most stallions don't have the guts to anyway.

Before we end completely with this chapter, I'd like to mention some of the little quirks some of the team has.

Dusty in particular, when confused, will tilt his head to the side. Maru and Cabbie find it amusing while Blade thinks it's cute (though he won't admit it out loud). The more confused he is, the more his head tilts. When he's anxious and confused his head will tilt to one side then tilt to the other side and go back again. His ears will drop to the side as well, and he usually looks pretty funny when he does this.

Drip and Blackout both tend to stick out their tongues a bit. Unintentionally of course, and it's usually when they're in a playful mood. Dynamite teases them about it, Pinecone giggles whenever they do it and Avalanche sticks his tongue out at them when one of them do it.

Blade does similar to Dusty, he'll tilt his head a bit. When he doesn't understand something or is trying to figure something out, his head will tilt mostly to the right. His ears will flick as well, and he will 'lick and chew' (it could be a sign of contentment or stress depending on context). Maru teases him about it sometimes, and Cabbie will also tilt his head whenever Blade is doing it until Blade notices. In return, Blade usually pins his ears at the old war horse and snorts.

This wraps up this chapter! Next time we will talk anatomy!

**A/N: A tiny bit of that isn't actually true, or not 100% true. I'm not completely sure how long mares stay away from their herds, I only know it's for at least a day. As for the stallions killing their foals, I have actually seen a horse do that. However the foal could not stand and would've starved to death - so the stallion was doing it a favor in a way. Still sad either way. **


	17. Grief

**A/N: The only reason I am writing this is because sad music Sad movie = Angstttttyyyyy chapters. Have fun with this. **

**Warning: Some depictions of violence, mostly blood!! You have been warned. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. They belong to Disney/Pixar. **

He knew his friend was dead long before he actually laid eyes on him.

And it was entirely his fault.

Had he been there, had he not crashed through that glass first, had he let _Rod _go first, maybe he wouldn't be dead in front of him. Maybe he could've saved him. Maybe he could've been the one that was caught. But that's not how it happened, and he can't go back.

He picked his way carefully through the shattered glass, through the darkened hallways and made his way through a dark, musty room. In his little fit of rage, he had killed The Professor, four of his goons and almost a young colt. He left the colt, dying but would be saved when someone found him. Of that, he was sure.

Holley was somewhere outside in the rain, choosing to not go with him but let him mourn on his own. She also was having trouble walking and the rain soothed the pain a little. Ethan was with her. She'd be ok.

Slowly, softly, he nudged open the door he had broken not more than two hours ago. The smell of death was heavy in the air around him, with blood smeared on the walls. He looked around at it, and back to his own body. Blood dripped down his sides, his flanks, shoulders, neck. Yet he felt no physical pain, even though the gashes were deep and it really _should _have been painful.

Only it wasn't. And that should've worried him. But right at the moment, the mental pain was more than enough.

He continued walking, marching forward through the rooms and toward the room he dreaded most. The one where he'd heard the gun go off, where he'd seen Rod drop before he broke through and kept running.

And he _should have _turned back.

Maybe it would've been him instead of Rod, then. But he can't reverse the past, even if he wanted to.

He nudged open another door and froze. The body of his friend lay still, in the middle of the floor. Blood, _his _blood, speckled the walls and drained onto the floor. Some of it pooling underneath him. Even from the doorway, he could see Rod's dull, lifeless eyes.

God, he should've let him go first.

A choked, muffled sob escaped his lips. His head dropped low, muzzle just barely brushing the ground as his eyes squeezed shut in a weary attempt to keep the tears at bay.

Why couldn't he have just _let him go first._

After a grief-stricken long moment his head lifted, eyes opening to once again look at the body. Carefully, without thinking, he moved forward and into the room. He came to stand in front of the body, by the dead Mustang's head. He stared at the older stallions flanks, as if he could will it to start rising and falling again.

Tired eyes roamed the expanse of the unmoving body after a moment, taking in every little scratch and cut that Rod could've avoided had he let Rod go first. Before him. Maybe then... maybe then he'd still be alive. Maybe he could've been the one laying on this floor.

That, that would've been better. Rod would still be alive.

But then Holley would be left alone, wouldn't she? Rod would say it was foolish of him to think he should be laying there, say he should always be with Holley. _Stay with the ones you love. _And Holley was the one he loved, was the one carrying _his _foal... but at the same time, it meant he wouldn't have to grieve a longtime friend. Had he just let Rod go first...

The scrapes, gashes, that one _damned _bullet hole that meant the end of Rod's long life littered his body. The body from each wound only adding to the amount of blood on the floor.

He dropped his head low, closing his eyes and flaring his nostrils as he took in Rod's scent one last time. He nickered, softly, quietly, and pushing his nose into the messed up mane of his friend. The bridle and bit and saddle and everything still attached, Rod could go knowing he died trying, knowing he helped save some people and horses.

But that still didn't help the grief that laid inside his heart.

Rod might've laughed at him for acting the way he was, blaming himself. '_What are you doing blaming yourself, lift your head and keep going will you?'_

A soft, sad smile spread across his muzzle for a brief second as he lifted his head and opened his eyes. With slow, reluctant movements and turned around, heading back through the door. Once outside of it, he lifted his head and turned it around to take one last glance at Rod.

"I'm sorry, old friend. Please forgive me, and never forget that you were loved."

In that moment it was almost like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. It wasn't much, but it was there, and it was as if he could hear Rod saying '_Farewell, old friend. Until we meet again on clearer roads.'_

He turned back around, walking back through the musty rooms with broken glass and blood stained walls. He may be leaving behind a part of himself and a part of everyone else who knew him, but they'd be fine.

Because, in Rod's words, '_We aren't broken, we are fighters.'_

And stepping back out into the pouring rain, Finn knew they'd eventually be ok.

**A/N: Ok I'm not gonna lie I almost cried writing that ending... hope you guys enjoyeeeddddd and see ya next time! **


	18. Testing the Limits

**A/N: So this actually came to mind because of a song, wow surprise surprise. But it was also because I haven't done a Lightning fic in a while XD Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters, Disney/Pixar owns them. **

They've done this before. Many times. But today... today she felt something _different. _Better.

She sat on his bare back, and she could feel his muscles tense and relax again as he pranced in place. Could see the muscles in his neck flex as he arched his neck, ears pricking and nostrils already flaring. Since she didn't have a bridle he could go at any time he wanted, but he was waiting for her cue.

Today, they were going to test the limits of what he could do.

_And, _she told herself, _using a wide open space with a tone of water, grass, random jumps and about four hundred acres of free open running space. _

She leaned up, reaching up with her hand to run her fingers through his short, bright yellow mane. He flicked an ear back to her for a second, and settled for a moment. _Focus on me... that's it buddy. _

"Remember, if I start slipping, slow down for me ok?"

A snort and a quick bob of his head before he was prancing in place. There were also various horses and humans around the place, but she knew Lightning would watch for them. She wouldn't have to much except clock his speed and stay on.

With a saddle that was much easier said than done, but she'd been riding him without a saddle or bridle since the first day, so she'd be fine.

"Good boy," she tightened the grip she had on his mane, preparing for his jump start (_he was a racer, he was used to jumping out of the gates for a good start_). She gripped his sides with her calves and thighs a bit more, "Go for it."

He was off before the words were completely out of her mouth, but she was expecting it. She stayed on.

He settled into a nice pace pretty quickly, and she let him stretch his muscles. She wouldn't push him to fast to hard yet - he had _amazing _stamina and could probably run for a day if he wanted to, but she didn't want to do that today. It was just time to see what he could do, the limits he couldn't reach while going in a circle.

She felt his strides lengthen, anxious energy wafting off him. She grinned, kissing to him and nudging him a bit with her knees. Talia would let him run faster when he wanted to.

Glancing down, she saw his shoulder muscles rippling with every stride. The ground was a _blur_, all she saw was green. Her hair whipped across her face, his mane tickling her nose from how far she was leaning up his neck. Talia whooped, joy spreading through her at the pure _speed _and _power _of the horse beneath her.

And suddenly they were splashing through water. His momentum slowed as he hit, but not by much. The water cooled Talia as it soaked through her clothes, the initial splash going way over her head. She closed her eyes for a moment as the water sprayed back over her, and shivered as the wind hit her again. It didn't last long though, as the adrenaline from the ride quickly made the cold fade away.

The water _did _make his back a bit slippery, but that would dry soon enough.

The water patch wasn't exactly big, so they were out of it and running up a hill within seconds. She felt his muscles bunch and propel him upwards, his neck going down the slightest bit to help him up the hill. She leaned with him, careful not to offset his balance. Once they reached the top of the hill, he surged forward again, no doubt a spray of mud and grass chunks behind them.

Talia saw him approach a jump, and if she hadn't it probably would've offset her because he took a long shot. He often did, but when she wasn't prepared for it she often fell. Going into a two point, she flew with him as he tucked his forelegs to his chest, pushing off with his hind legs before tucking them in as well.

He landed, and off he went again. Stretching his stride, blowing rapidly through his nostrils and keeping his ears pricked.

They passed a few horses and riders through the open stretch, and she could hear bits of sentences as they breezed by.

"Is that-?"

"That totally looks like-"

"That's _fast._"

"Lightning and Tal-?"

_It is us, _Talia thought to herself, grinning, _Lightning McQueen and Talia Burnes, the best horse and human duo to ever exist. _

She might be biased, but nobody needed to know that.

Lightning took off and propelled himself over another jump. It _almost _took her by surprise, had he not shortened his stride a second before he took off she wouldn't have seen it. And then fallen. Which wouldn't have been good.

She was tempted to check her phone. To see how fast they were going, but she wouldn't take either hand away from the stallions neck. If he did a sharp turn he could very easily throw her like that. Accidentally, of course, but the ground was not fun when falling off of a horse moving as fast as he was added with his height.

She would wait till they were done.

She urged him faster, kissing again and clucking a few more times. He didn't need to be told again.

He jumped forward a bit more, ears flattening and neck and head extending. She once again noticed his muscles flex and relax as he ran. He was hauling butt, and it was faster than she thought he was able to go.

But why else would he be named Lightning?

This horse beneath her could move faster than any other horse on the Earth. He'd proven that again and again. He was special, specifically bred to be fast but nobody thought he could be. Talia and Doc had always known differently, but they'd been the only ones. Now, he's set records and broken them, set new ones and broken them to as he got older. He was probably the most famous horse in the world, his name on every newspaper and almost every racehorse magazine. Even performance horse magazines every once in a while. He'd proven them wrong.

Talia went into a two point again as he jumped over a brush jump, and then again as he decided to fly over a pond that was probably not meant to jump. He cleared it anyways.

And Talia enjoyed _every minute of it. _

Once more, she nudged him forward. He snorted but gave more. Extending his strides as far as he could possibly go, while moving as fast he was able. She clucked to keep him moving, to keep him going faster. It felt like she was flying. Like she was on a living powerhouse, filled with uncontrollable energy and passion and love for what it did.

She asked for more, he'd give it all he could. And he thoroughly enjoyed it while doing so, he loved to run. To please. To do as he was asked.

But eventually, all good things came to end. Lightning's strifes covered a lot of ground, so it wasn't long before he was slowing down, easing himself up from a dead run to a mere canter. Talia sat up, found herself breathing heavily and tried to calm herself. The adrenaline rush she never failed to get from these runs would always leave her breathless.

Lightning carefully turned around, and slowed to a walk. His head high, with ears pricked. He wasn't done, no, but he knew Talia would want to check the speed he got.

She sat back completely and pulled her phone out from her front pocket. She stopped the screen recording of the clock (the app calculated the speed they were going at, how helpful) and waited for it to load on her photos.

She scrolled through the thirty minute video (they were running for thirty minutes?! Where did he even take them?). Her eyebrows raised as her mouth dropped open.

"Hey Light? You must've been hauling, cause you broke another speed record."

He turned his head a bit, his white star shining in the sunlight.

"278 miles an hour."

**A/N: Yeah, that speed lol. I quite like the thought of it though. And just so ya'll know... the highest speed a horse has ever reached is, I think, 55 mph. However my own horse has only reached 32 XD All horses are different! But it still felt _really _fast. So... yeah I'll stop.  
**

**Hope ya'll enjoyed!! The speed was purely my own imagination :P No hate please! **


	19. Freedom

**A/N: So like most of these, this came from a strong and me in a very content mood. So, here ya go. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. They belong to Disney/Pixar. **

One of his absolute favorite things to do, was run.

It felt amazing to do it. He always felt like he could escape anything when he was doing it. His long stride stretching and reaching as it allowed him to fly across the ground. The quicker the strides the faster he could move. And he was a master at moving fast. At least that's what the paper and magazines and TV said.

But he was pretty much only used to running full speed when he had a rider. When Talia was on him. When Doc, Jackson or Cruz was with him - or sometimes even Finn. He rarely got to run on his own. Being famous, most of his time was spent keeping with the press or training or preparing or whatever Doc or Talia wanted him to do. When he got a moment of free time, it was when he was sleeping.

So today, he slipped free from the confines of Radiator Springs before dawn. Careful not to wake Doc, or Sheriff as he passed the sign the old Paint stallion always slept by. Once he was away from all them, he trotted down the road.

Once he reached the intersection, he slipped down a path he had found not long ago. With only the moonlight reflecting off his coat, he left the safety of the road and onto only-semi-familiar ground. He picked his way across the ground, careful to step over logs and sticks or anything that could make noise in case something was sleeping nearby.

He wasn't worried, no. He could outrun anything. He just didn't want to wake anyone else. It was to early for anyone else to be up.

Pausing, he looked up and into the starry sky. The moon was going down, but wasn't low enough (or the sun wasn't high enough) to begin a sunrise. And it was a relatively clear night - most of the stars were visible. Sighing in contentment, he dropped his head and continued on.

He soon came to a dip in the land. A very steep decline that lead right into a forest. Leaning onto his haunches a bit more, he half slid and half walked down the hill. Rocks fell front beneath his hooves and tumbled down the rest of the way, but he didn't pay attention. He didn't care.

He reached the bottom and continued on his way. Flaring his nostrils he took in the peaceful scent of the forest around him. Pine needles, crisp air, the beginning smell of mist, fresh grass and flowers and deer. It was calming, he felt the stress he hadn't known he'd been carrying just evaporate. Leaving him feeling relaxed, calm.

It was rare for him to feel like this. He was normally hot, ansty, eager and excited - nothing close to calm or relaxed. He was stressed when put under too much pressure or surrounded by too many people and horses. It brought back painful memories and he had panic and anxiety attacks before. But here... he could feel stressfree and calm and everything he couldn't feel when he worked.

Yes, he was happy and eager and honest when he worked. When he raced and did what he did best. He loved it, looked forward to it, like most racehorses did. However everyone needed a break, so when he felt the stress climb to high he came here to free himself.

He didn't realize how far he'd walked till he came across what he was looking for. A meadow, stretched wide and far covered in dandelions and the smell of bunnies and foxes, and deer. He looked across it, red ears pricking. It looked so eerily beautiful. With the moon casting a silver shadow over the field and small shadows over the slight rolling hills in the middle of the field.

The field itself stretched _so _far. It was so wide. Probably wider than the town he lived in. It was big and he could stretch and run and buck and do whatever he please without having to worry about rails or buildings or other horses because there was no one else here. Nothing in his way keeping him from what he wanted.

He felt the telltale excitement wash through him - but here he didn't have to wait for a cue to go. He didn't have to contain it. He could just _go. _

Without another thought, he launched himself off his powerful hindquarters and sprinted forward. He settled into a quick pace, the wind washing through his face and whipping his short, bright yellow mane back and his lacing its way through his tail like a ribbon. The wind cooled him, took away the rest of the stress. He felt himself relax, the tension in his muscles gone. And when he was free of tension, he could really stretch - really run and feel exactly what he could do.

So, he ran.

He kept his head high or low or in the middle. Outstretched or in to in his chest as he ran. He reached the far end in a few minutes tops, but easily turned to run the length of it. His ears pricked again and he slowed for a moment. Only a moment as he took in the open range and actually let himself go. Talia wouldn't allow him to do this on the track, she said it was 'too risky to test your stamina like that'.

He stretched and stretched and _stretched _his stride till he couldn't possibly reach any further. With every stride the excitement built and he found his strides coming faster, longer. His nostrils flared, blue eyes flashing with uncontained energy. He let himself run.

It was no question as to why people called him Lightning.

He was a blur as he speed across the field. The chest high grass doing nothing to slow him or contain him. Some burdocks nipped at his chest and belly, but he didn't care. They were off almsot as soon as they attached themselves to him. The grass tickled his belly, and he bucked big. Arching his back and tossing his head and kicking out. Something that would've off seated Talia with ease, and something he never did while she was on. Something he didn't do in general, while others were around.

He did it again, a few times, before reaching the end of the field again (wow really? He was running faster than he thought) and cut through to his side as sharp as he could. It slowed his momentum, but he sprung right back to full speed. He threw chunks of dirt from underneath his hooves as he flew towards the tallest hill in field, climbing it with ease, his muscles bunching as he did so.

Once on top, he stopped. Lightning surveyed the field around him. He wasn't even breathing hard, no sweat on him anywhere. No sign of how fast he had been running except the gleam in his eyes he got when he could run as fast as he wanted.

He stayed on top of that hill, watching the sun begin to creep its way over the horizon. The sunrise was beautiful, shades of deep blue and purple and orange mixing together. The forest would be misty on his way back, and would add to the beauty.

Sighing, he turned back towards the entrance to the forest and walked back to it. He needed to go, they'd be wondering where he was. When he reached the beginning of the forest, he hesitated and turned his head behind him.

His white star on his face glinted in the sun, the red of his butt making it seem like he was on fire. However he wasn't paying attention to that - just the pure white figure in the middle of the field.

He always saw it when he left. He knew exactly who it was.

He whinnied his greeting that he knew wouldn't get a return. The figure just stood, swishing her tail and watching him. He looked back in front of him, into the misty forest, before looking behind him again.

His mother was not there.

Contentment settling in him again, he set off into the forest. Trotting back to his home, the taste and feel of freedom still sticking with him throughout the journey back to his home.

**A/N: So, I really enjoyed writing that. Actually, I might do more of these fluffy with a little little hint of angst Oneshots. I enjoy them. Also, his mother is dead, so what he saw was either a ghost or his imagination, you can decide. Hope you enjoyed!!**


	20. Bow

**A/N: So I saw a word and I came up with this. Yes. A word. The word is the title. Enjoy my crazy Oneshot based off a word! **

**Warning: This is angsty... **

**_Lightning, weary and old but happy, stood proudly on the stage wearing the red roses, the blue ribbons, the classy halter... and next to him, Talia, the girl that saved his life in her wheelchair, grown old like him but still living, and living her life in comfort. Just like him. With him. _**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters. They belong to Disney/Pixar.**

When he and Talia had been invited to the awards ceremony, he hadn't actually expected to be awarded himself. He had expected a short, very short speech in honor of his - still standing - records only multiple races and maybe meeting a few of his foals but what he got was ten times more than he'd anticipated.

As soon as he had walked off the trailer, cameras flashed, yelling started, and everyone rushed up to greet him. His ears and eyes weren't as sensitive as they used to be, so nothing bothered him. He didn't raise his head like he did when he was young, didn't flare his nostrils, didnt startle and swivel and rear. He calmly stood, his head low as Talia's granddaughter, Cloey, lead him away from the trailer and towards the stage.

He was almost seventy five now, Talia at eighty seven and in her wheelchair rolling next to him. He smiled a little, remembering her first and last time she'd ever ridden him (and therefore, the last time he had ever had a rider). Those two days were magnificent - The first time when he was young and wild and reckless, fearful but also fearless. The last, when he was old and smart, mature and bombproof. Their first ride had been full of speed, energy, while their last was peaceful and slow.

And then her back gave out the following month, and she'd have no choice but to use the wheelchair.

His back was slightly swayed, he'd gained weight and lost muscle from not being as active (generally the only thing he did during the day at this point was sleep and graze, with Sally next to him, while keeping an eye on everyone else). He still had his protective streak, but his youngest foal - Cosmic, a gorgeous bay roan - held the title for protector now. He was young, agile, and fast with a ton of stamina to burn. Just like his sire, but had his mothers eyes and dished face, with his grandsire's body shape and size.

Doc... Doc had passed away years ago, along with Sheriff, Flo, Ramone, Sarge, Fillmore, Luigi, Guido and Lizzie long before them. The only two remaining alive from the original Radiator Springs group as Mater and Red. Those two were old now, just like him. With greying muzzles and a greying body (Red was almost completely grey at this point). Finn and Holley were still alive, Samantha having passed away on a mission many years ago and Ethan still alive today, healthy and walking, sometimes riding though it was very rare. Finn _was _grey, skinny and looked old while Holley was still gleaming, but had grey around the normal points - eyes, shoulders, hindquarters and a lot of grey around her muzzle. Their foals mostly took up spying, with a few still going into jumping or cross country, one of them - the eldest, who would've just turned thirty six and named Ace - had gone into Dressage and won two world championship titles, and this year he looked well on his way to his third.

Jackson and Cruz had retired ten years ago, and now had three foals on the ground. The oldest, a beautiful filly named Ammara was racing, had won many races and fell in love with another racer, King. Their second, Jason, was into cross country and thriving on it with his rider, Payton. Their third one, a filly - Claire - had just turned three and was working her way to becoming a Triple Crown winner.

Lightning snapped out of his haze when Cloey clucked to him, leading him up the stage. He hadn't even seen the ramp while he was daydreaming, just followed Cloey. He stepped up, walking slowly until he was on the stage.

When he got up and looked out at the crowd, he was surprised to see how many people and horses had showed up. Hundreds of cameras flashing, yelling and calling his name, dozens upon dozens of people yelling 'I love you!' and 'You're the best!' And suddenly he found himself in another quick flashback - of him and Talia flying past the finish line on that first race day, or the first time he won the Triple Crown, every time he arrived for a race and people just swarmed him, excited to get a look at the stallion.

He never thought he would get another taste of that before he passed, at least not after his last race back when he was just turning fifty, when his body could no longer handle the strain. Even though he'd been slowing down and not entering races every which way, he knew his body would give eventually and he was smart now. So he stopped. He retired and settled with Sally, out of the public's eye. He'd even stopped studding publicly after that. He had started studding when he was forty, when he first began slowing down with his racing. But when he retired for sure, he'd stopped. He had aired some champion foals, most of which had gone into racing and were winning quite a bit, some went into jumping. But they all were active.

Sighing, he looked to Talia who had just rolled up next to him and placed a shaky hand on his foreleg. Smiling and waving a bit at the audience, who waved back at her. Lightning dropped his head a bit more, before a grey horse came into the stage and everyone queited for a moment.

With a grin and a microphone he started talking. "And here he is folks, the champion of the century that we all know and love. Who's won all of his races, won the Triple Crown a record smashing thirty times and blew us all away with his new speed and track records! The legend, Lightning McQueen." He looked over to Lightning and Talia, who looked back at him, "We welcome you here today to receive a very special gift for your accomplishments. We all love you, Lightning, and want to thank you for everything you have done for all of us. You've made a difference in the racing world, and we want to thank you."

The crowd erupted back into cheer, cameras flashing once again as eight people carrying flowers blanket with flashing red roses - had he been younger, they would've matched his coat perfectly - and draped that over his shoulders as they clipped five or so blue ribbons to his shiny new halter.

There was clapping, and yelling, and screaming, but Lightning only stood and watched, calmly and peacefully as everyone erupted into cheers once more as the blanket of roses settled on his back. As the ribbons were clipped to his bridle, and when the biggest blue ribbon braided into his mane. The announcer continued speaking, "Today we thank you, Lightning, for setting a new standard and making the racing world a better, crazier place. Even when you retired, we all knew you were the greatest racehorse that ever has lived. I think it's safe to say there will never be another as great as you, and your legacy will be around forever. We want you to know you are loved and will forever be remembered as the greatest racehorse of all time. Thank you, Lightning. Thank you."

For a final time, the crowd exploded into cheers and screams. He actually did pick his head up that time, listening to the screaming and yelling of fans and probably some of his foals.

He stood still for what felt like hours. Looking over at everyone. Lightning, weary and old, but happy, stood proudly on the stage with his blanket of red roses, his new blue ribbons and his flashy halter. And next to him, Talia, the girl who'd saved his life in more than one way, in her wheelchair. Both old, tired but _happy _and still living. They grew old together. And she would be there with him till the end, and he would be there for her.

His joints and bones would be killing him for this later. But he wanted to do it. He needed to do it, one last hurra. One last thing for his fans. One last thing for Talia. One last gift to Doc.

With a slight groan, he shifted his weight onto his hindquarters and bent a foreleg, lowering himself slowly downwards and tucking his head between his forelegs. His long mane touched the ground, and he held the bow for a moment as the screaming increased tenfold and the rose blanekt slid down his neck a tiny bit.

And with that, he made his final bow to the world. A gift, to all who supported and loved him throughout his life.

... A few years later, Talia and Lighting passed away in their sleep on the same day. They went peacefully, with each other, and everyone knew that somewhere, somewhere in heaven, they were racing the stars.

**A/N: The Triple Crown can NOT be won more than once by a single horse, and that's because only three year old horses can compete in the series of races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes) so most of that is made up. Also, horses barely go past the age of thirty, maybe thirty five, so Light and everyone bein like seventy or something is unbelievable in the real world. **

**But this is fanfiction. I can do whatever with this world :P**


	21. Quarantine

**A/N: So, everyone seems to be doing Quaratine fics right now, in all the fandoms (at least in the ones I'm in, there's quite a lot). So I'm gonna jump on the train and do one of my own! This was also written at midnight, so... yeah. **

**_Summary: Dusty is a racehorse. High energy, hot headed, strong and fast, he is not doing well with the quaratine. Especially since he can't _work _and work is what he needs to keep calm. As tensions rise on the team when their unable to do their jobs - besides firefighting, but fires are few and far between as there are no campers - or go anywhere, Blade and Cabbie decide to do something about it. _**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters, Disney/Pixar does. **

Blade knew, as soon as Cabbie had made the announcement that the government had issued self quaratine, that they were in trouble.

His team did not do well without work. They could last maybe three days without long amounts of physical activity, but three weeks was a bit much for them. After a week had passed, and the government issued another three weeks quaratine, he _really _knew they were in trouble.

Dusty, Dynamite and Blackout were having the most difficult time. Their breeds were notorious for having high energy and the need to work, to do _something. _Blackout and Dusty, with Thoroughbred lines in them, were the worst. Dynamite could keep herself in control better than the other two, but everyone could easily see past her laidback mannerisms.

The first week wasn't bad. Blade occupied them by reteaching some of their firefighting tactics, and for the most part everyone was fine. Energetic, but fine. They'd gotten a call once that week, and that helped with some of their energy levels.

By the middle of the second week, Blade could tell they were getting a bit antsy. They were workers, they needed to work, and they really shouldn't be going this long without it. Before long they'd end up destroying the entire base in an attempt to burn off the extra energy.

And by the end of the third week his suspicions were confirmed when the entirety of the smokejumpers and Dusty were running full sprint from Maru, as the smaller stallion chased them with a wrench and telling them off.

Blade shared a look with Cabbie. "We have to do something."

"I know one thing we could try. It's not anything extremely active, but it'll keep their minds active."

Blade cocked his head, raising an eyebrow, "And what would that be?"

"Ever heard of Airs Above the Ground?"

After a moment, Blade's eyes widened slightly as he nodded. "Yes, I have to perform some of the movements in the show."

"Should we teach them something?"

"Why not everything? It'll keep them occupied and out of Maru's hair."

Cabbie nodded and followed Blade towards his team. Watching Blade, he could tell the stallion was getting a bit ansty for work just as much as any of the other team members, he just had a better way of hiding it.

"Alright team. We're gonna do a bit of work," Blade circled around in front of them, effectively getting them to stop running. Drip almost collided with him - had the decency to look a little sorry at least. "Ya ever heard of Airs Above the Ground?"

Dusty beamed, "Yeah! Skipper showed me a couple of the moves."

"Which ones?"

"The simpler ones. Levade and Ballotade is all he's taught me so far."

Cabbie nods, "Levade is the main frame for performing a Capriole. Mind showing us a Levade, Dusty?"

Seemingly effortesless, Dusty suddenly gathered himself up and curled his neck to touch his chin to his throat as he set himself on his hind legs. He gathered his forelegs to his chest and sat back further, keeping perfect balance. He was only a few feet from the ground, but Cabbie could tell he could execute an amazing Capriole. Dusty sat deep on his hind legs and his instructor always said '_the deeper you sit in a Levade, the more powerful the Capriole will be_'.

"Think you all can do that?" Cabbie looked at the rest of them, and they nodded, "Show me."

Dusty came down and went up again as the rest of them went up to try and perform it. Cabbie knew just how much strength was required to perform any of these moves correctly, but he also knew how powerful everyone on base was.

As he watched them all, he noticed Blackout sat almost has deep as Dusty, and Pinecone didn't sit as deep as any of the others. None of them stayed up quite as long as Dusty, each of them having to set down at least twice more before actually holding it for a couple seconds.

Blade, true to his word, had obviously done it before. He sat deeper than Dusty and his head touched his throat, his legs tucked almost like he would over a jump. He stayed in that position for a good eight seconds before touching back down.

"The next thing we can do is a Ballotade. Dusty, could you show them again?"

Dusty nodded and moved away, giving himself some space. He bounced on his forelegs a couple times before settling on his hind legs, jumping straight into the air. He even himself out and tucked all four legs in towards his body. He landed squarely, head bobbing once and he looked to Cabbie for approval.

"Very nice. Skipper taught you well," a small smile from the retired war horse and Dusty beamed at him, then at Blade. "This requires a lot of strength, so if you don't go as high as Dusty that's ok."

Truth be told, he was impressed by all of them. Blade looked like a pro through the entire two seconds it took to finish the move. Dynamite and Avalanche had done it almost in sync, while Pinecone looked like she had the easiest time getting into the air. Drip and Blackout didn't go as high as any of the others, but they still got quite a few feet off the ground.

Smiling at them, Cabbie nodded. "I'll show you a Courbette."

With practiced ease, Cabbie came up off the ground in a rear, tucking his forelegs close to his body. Sitting heavier on his hindquarters, he pushed off his hind legs and jumped forward about a foot. He settled on his haunches again, and jumped forward another three times before touching down.

"It takes a lot of power to go more than once without touching the ground again, so just try one for now. If you can get more, good. But don't hurt yourself," he pointedly glared at Drip, who also was refusing to met his gaze.

Watching them again, it was apparent of just how much power Dusty possessed. The young stallion made it four jumps - just like Cabbie had - before he came down on his forelegs. He and Blade were so much alike, everything from personality to strength apparently.

Cabbie nodded his approval as all of them finished their movements. "Let's try a Capriole. It's very difficult, takes a lot more strength than you think, and perfect timing."

Cabbie nodded to Blade to show them. He knew the younger knew how to perform a Capriole, and he performed it well. With grace and power in every move.

First, Blade began doing mini Levades, rapidly switching between being on his forelegs and hindlegs. Technically, he didn't need to do that, but he figured it was to help the others get greater power in the move. When he gathered himself all the way, head tucking and forelegs coming in towards his body as he went up, Cabbie knew it would be something to watch.

Coming off the ground, Blade first brought his hind legs in. However, mid-air, he kicked out with both hind legs. He came a good seven feet off the ground, and then came straight back down. He hit the ground squarely, as he should, and snorted after he hit.

He looked back up to see several very impressed faces of the jump team and Dusty. Cabbie quirked a brow at them, "Who wants to try it first?"

Avalanche, Drip and Blackout shared a look before Drip moved to find a bit more space, and he tried the Capriole. He defintiley didn't come close to the air Blade got, but he still looked good. Avalanche got a bit higher while Blackout was around the same. Dynamite greatly impressed him when she managed to come around five and a half feet off the ground before kicking out. And Pinecone, tentative thing she was, came around the same height as Drip. Around four feet, even though Cabbie knew she could defintiley go higher.

And, as if to prove his earlier statement, Dusty showed just how much 'Blade' he had in him. He jumped at least six and a half feet off the ground, arching and tucking his neck and kicking out with both hind legs. Where the jumpers had only kicked out with one, or landed on forelegs first, Dusty kicked with both and landed on all fours.

Blade was impressed as well, that much was obvious. And, it apparently cured the boredom. For the next four days, Cabbie watched from the safety of the main hangar as Blade continued to help the jumpers and Dusty - Dipper one day - with the execution of the movements. And by the end of the fourth week, they were all pros.

They still had another two weeks to go, but they could get by. If Blade needed to, he could take them on a run through the most remote part of the forest. They'd enjoy that, and they'd sleep for hours after.

Maybe, Cabbie should encourage that.

**A/N: So that was quite a bit longer than I expected it to be. I haven't written anything in a while, either, so excuse any misspelling or any character seeming OOC. Also, I hope everyone is doing ok with the Corona virus! Please stay safe and make sure to wash your hands! 3**

**What do you lot think, should I write about them running through the most remote part of the forest??**


	22. Little Known Fact

**A/N: So, it's been a minute since I last posted, hasn't it? I'm so sorry, I just haven't had motivation to write anything Planes or Cars related. However I got this little plot bunny after reading a planes fic, and I had to write it! Hope ya'll enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters, they belong to Disney/Pixar. **

It was a known fact that Blade Ranger was protective of his team.

He may not act like it, most of the time. He preferred to stay in the shadows, unsocial and distant. It took a special type of person or horse to get by his walls and defenses, and even longer for them to gain his loyalty and trust. But once they did, once he trusted them, they had his loyalty - and therefore, under his protection - for life.

Blade was never one to spring into action upon first glance. He sat back, watchful, developing a plan and then acting it out. Always one to be tactical, professional, and having an uncaring demeanor, it came as a surprise to most exactly how protective he could be.

Cad was the first to understand how out of character Blade could be if you messed with his team. He couldn't do much when Cad was still Superintendent, but as soon as the stallion was kicked out of the position and he'd been yelling at the PPAA team about "Making me lose my job, you dirty forest-"

He hadn't been able to finish that sentence before Blade was on him. Ears pinned and teeth bared, muscles tense and nostrils flaring, Blade shoved him away from them and forced him backwards. Cad, clearly intimidated, lowered his head and tried talking his way out of it.

As always.

"Blade, buddy, listen I wasn't, I didn't mean-"

Blade didn't listen, nor did he stop advancing on him. His head held up, he crowded into Cad's personal space more and more until Cad was backed against a tree.

With Cad hunched up against the tree, Blade towering over him, Blade looked much bigger than he was. He used it to his advantage, tensing his muscle even more so Cad got the message that he _could _and _would _mess him up before growling out, "Do _not ever _talk to them in that way _ever _again. If you do, I will not hesitate to hurt you."

Blade's ice blue eyes flashed with anger as Cad met them, and he stuttered out a quiet "yes" before Blade backed off enough to let him hurry away with his tail between his legs.

Nobody had mentioned the incident, especially since Blade didn't seem all that eager to talk about it.

The second ones to have a first hand experience with Blade and his protectiveness was his friend from his childhood, James. Blade was comfortable around him, and that was obvious, so most of the others instantly trusted him as well.

Dusty, who was outgoing but still a bit timid, stayed close to Blade or Skipper during introductions. James had smiled at everybody, and had teased Blade about finally finding a family (although Blade had softly smiled before regaining his composure, everyone pretended not to see it). Before long, everyone besides a few split up to show James around the base.

Dusty stayed close to Blade, pressed against his side while he watched James with his friends, and newfound family. Blade twisted a bit to look at him, eyeing him for a moment before asking, "What's wrong?"

Dusty shrugged, glancing at his sire before continuing to watch James. He was almost as big as Blade, but his jet black coat made him look bigger and stronger than he actually was. Dusty knew this, but nonetheless was still slightly intimidated.

Blade easily picked up on his unease. Judging him lightly, Blade moved off a little to a patch of grass before dropping his head to graze. Dusty stayed in place for a moment longer before joining Cabbie and Maru by the main hangar.

Blade watched everyone and everything around him, looking for possible trouble. When James made his way over to the trio, he saw Dusty tense up as James moved a little too fast towards him, and Blade reacted.

Flinging his head up just as Dusty began to try to back away from the stallion moving towards him, he turned a bit faster than normal and trotted over to them. James was close to Dusty at that point, in his personal space even. Putting himself between them, he delivered a quick nip to James neck. It wasn't hard enough to break the skin, but paired with the pinned ears slightly bared teeth, he got the message.

Blade would do anything to keep his team safe, even if it meant he'd get hurt in the process. Take the time he saved Dusty at the mineshaft for example, and there were a few times where rouge stallions had attacked the base, or wolves or cougars have, and he'd jumped to the defense. Very few have the privilege to be under his protection, but those that are, are lucky.

**A/N: I think this turned out nicely. What do you lot think? **


	23. Why

**A/N: Been a hot minute hasn't it. Inspiration suddenly hit for this one chapter and what could I do except write it? This is just a fluffy chapter between Blade and Dynamite. Note that they are _not _being shipped here, even though it may seem like it. They're just friends here. **

**Oh, and before I forget, they're wolves in this one. **

**Without any further ado, here it is! Enjoy :)**

This was one of their favorite places to go.

When the base got too busy, too chaotic, or too stressful for them, they took a day and came here. It wasn't far from base, they could get there fast enough in case of an emergency. But it was far enough away, and closed off enough, to where nobody could find or disturb them.

It was a beautiful place. A brilliant waterfall ran through the open area, surrounded by gorgeous oak trees. When the light shone through the leaves, it created the most magnificent sight they'd ever seen. With the water reflecting the sunlight, the water reminded them of sparkling water and the entire area lit up, creating a vibrant, glow-like lighting around the entire field.

Blade had first shown Dynamite this spot a few years ago, when she'd had a near-breakdown moment a few weeks after she'd become smokejumper captain. When the nerves got the best of her, Blade had taken her here and told her she could come down whenever she was feeling stressed or needed a break. Since then, the two have regularly come to the place to relax and take time for themselves.

At first, they had been a bit awkward about sharing the space. Dynamite was a little intimidated by the sheer muscle on the male wolf, the scars that criss-crossed his body. He had been through a lot and was no doubt a powerful animal. Blade, being closed off and anti-social at the time, didn't initiate conversation. It was Dynamite that eventually broke the silence, opting to try and initiate a game of tag with her boss.

At first, Blade had looked about confused as a newborn pup seeing the world for the first time. He eyed her as she bowed in front of him, her tail slowly wagging as her tongue lolled out of her mouth. It was a friendly, relaxed invitation to play, and he had been hesitant to take her up on the offer. But after a moment of careful thought, he returned the bow and she took off running in the opposite direction.

He had only played tag a handful of times throughout his lifetime, but he enjoyed it. He ran after her, the grass tickling his belly as he burst through it. The game lasted hours, the two enjoying their break. In the end, it helped the two grow closer, along with relaxing.

And now, Dynamite lay on top of Blade in the middle of the field, him on his back as he allowed her to rest her face on his strong chest. The sound of the waterfall, the river, and the chirping birds paired with Blade's steady heartbeat and breathing were beginning to lull her to sleep, and she was sure she'd drifted off a couple times. Every once in a while, Blade placed a few gentle licks on her forehead.

Usually, when they came to the field, they would play a game of chase or tag before flopping down in the middle and napping, or just soaking up the sun. Sometimes they would talk, but they normally remained quiet and focused on the sounds of nature around them. Sometimes they laid next to each other, and other times one would be near the water or tree line, and the other would be a ways away from them. This much close contact was new for both of them, but neither seemed to dislike it. In fact, Blade was the one that let her lay on him in the first place.

They had come down to the field looking for an escape from the craziness, and played their game of chase. When Blade had turned towards her in the middle of the field, raising himself off his forelegs and balancing on his hind legs, she had caught up to him and tackled him. She was cautious about it, and it was more of a gentle push as they both fell over than it was an attack.

When she landed on him, her first thought was the scramble off - even though he had given her a clear invitation to do exactly what she had done. But one look at her boss, the soft and loving look in his eyes paired with the gentle smile tugging at his lips was enough to make her stay.

There were no words exchanged as they lay in the field. Dynamite had dropped her head onto his chest and he had licked her forehead, reassuring her it was ok. They had stayed that way a long time, when a question popped itself into her mind.

She picked her face up off his chest, looking at his face. The older wolf had his eyes closed, and for a moment she thought he was asleep when he opened one icy blue eye.

"Whats wrong?"

"Why aren't you like this with the rest of the team?" She didn't need to explain what she meant. By the deep inhale, and the opening of the other eye as he lifted his head up off the ground, she knew he understood the question.

"Because they don't want to see their Chief off guard."

She tilted her head a little, and deciding to push the topic a bit she asked, "Why not?"

"I'm supposed to be the lookout, the protector. Being relaxed like this is letting my guard down and I wouldn't be as ready to defend."

It was a good answer, as far as Blade goes, but she wasn't fully satisfied. However the chief had dropped his head back onto the ground and closed his eyes again, signaling the end of conversation. She let him have it for a little bit, resting her head against his chest again.

It had been another twenty minutes before she said, "We can't keep doing this."

The response she got was rough with sleep, she felt the vibrations of his voice through his chest. "Doing what?"

"You, me, the team."

He lifted his head of the ground, eyeing her for a moment before asking, "What do you mean?"

She picked her head off his chest, looking him in the eyes. "With you pretending you don't like anyone, and distancing yourself from the team, while we try to please you and get you to spend time with us. We love you, and we look up to you. We can't keep lovin' you if all you're gonna do in return is leave us alone for most of the day unless there's a fire."

He kept eye contact with her for a few more moments, then he let his head fall back again, closing his eyes once more and sighed. Dynamite let her head fall on his chest again, but she kept her eyes focused on him. Just when she thought he wouldn't respond, his voice cuts through the air.

"I guess I haven't been very good in the caring department, have I?" He lifts his head, opening his eyes and she caught a hint of apologeticness in them as he reached forward again to lick her forehead. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok."

He shook his head, pulling away but keeping his eyes on her and his head up. "I haven't been fair to you guys. As Chief I should make an effort to bond with my team instead of avoiding them."

Dynamite offered him a gentle smile, lifting her head to lick his cheek once. "They would love to spend time with you, Blade. I don't think they'd care if it was a game of tag, taking a walk, or chilling in the main hangar. They just want to be with you."

Blade smiled softly at her, "I'll have to make sure I do more with you all."

And Dynamite was happy with that. Giving him another lick on the cheek, she let her head fall back onto his chest as her eyes closed again. She felt him chuckle softly, "Do you want to stay here a while longer before heading back up?"

She nodded, as much as she could with her head against his chest, and he dropped his head back onto the ground. "Alright, we'll head back around sundown."

And with Dynamite satisfied, the two remained quiet as they lay together in the field for the next few hours until the sun began to go down. When they reached base, Blade gave the jumper hangar a quick look, then looked back at Dynamite. He gave her a nod as he headed to his own hangar, and she knew that meant he would be making good on their conversation, and he would do more with his team. She smiled at his retreating form before turning in for the night.

**A/N: I really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it! RR for me? **

**Hope everyone is safe during the pandemic 3 **


	24. Preliminary

**A/N: So this, my friends, is going to be the general idea of a new Finn and Holley story I'll be writing. It's dark, intense, and most likely will be rated M. It will definitely be dark and not for the faint of heart. So this is kind a summary, if you will? Or a preliminary thing? It eludes to the story, let's just say that**. **So if this is interesting to you, you might like the actual thing. Here we go :) Hope you enjoy!**

**WARNING FOR DARK TOPICS**

He had been warned that this mission would not be easy, nor safe, nor predictable. He had been told from the very beginning, that this could be the end. He had also been given the choice to opt out of the mission several times. He had been told the United States would handle it, or the United Kingdom could. He had refused everytime, saying Holley, Ethan, Samantha and himself could handle it, even if it took months. Or years.

Apparently, he had underestimated the elusiveness of these criminals. They were smart, unpredictable. They didn't have a schedule, a pattern, nothing that would aid Finn in finding and taking this criminal organization down. Each and every possible lead they found would eventually go cold. Finn, ever the anxious leader, would grow impatient and irritated with the lack of trails. He would pace for hours, reread the case file - which wasn't much more than a couple pages long - and look over the sightings. Over, and over, and over again.

Holley would pick up on his anxious habits and talk out loud, trying to piece together images and ideas. She tried placing clues and missteps from the criminals together to create a reason and help move the case along. Nothing came from either of their attempts, as all trails continued to lead to nothing.

Ethan and Samantha, as much as they wanted to help, couldn't do much more than their partners could. They investigated small leads or hints, but never found anything. The four never got much sleep, and were often kept awake by pure will and cups of coffee.

When they got a hit on one of the newer agents for the organization, they didn't hesitate to question him. The young criminal didn't give much to them at first, but the more Finn pushed him the more information he gave. One day, the colt caved and gave him the information Finn and Holley needed to get the case on the move.

They moved quickly to the given location, forcing the door open. It was not what they had expected.

Standing in the doorway, Finn heard Holley sharply inhale at the sight before them. In the middle of the darkened, musty room, surrounded by dead and bloodied bodies, stood the sign. The sign itself was covered in blood spatters, presumably from the victims surrounding it. And there, messily written in black, read;

"I know you're after me. Come find me"

**A/N: I, for one, am very excited to start writing this fic! I'll probably write it all out or mostly done, so I can regularly update it. Lemme know what you all think! **


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